Global Focus

Why,Pray My Army And The NWFP!

Qurat-ul-ain Jelani, Pakistan, Friday 30 November 2007

We are living in dangerous and uncertain times.The Chinese proverb has never rung truer—May you live in interesting times! This curse of interesting times has fallen many a people, families and nations—it seems to be our turn now. So how many of you remember that cruel map in which Pakistan was nowhere to be seen in the year 2010. Somehow I believe we are at the junction where we either prove this premonition right or wrong.

We are presently fighting two wars in our homeland—one is being fought in the NWFP for the very existence of this state and ironically the other war is one I couldn’t fight any word to justify or explain.

How many of you know Baitullah mahsud, Fazlullah and BLA. How many of you have heard their anti-pakistan rhetoric and their subsequent moves to destabilize the very country that has fed them into such despicable,inhuman,blood-thirsty anti-heroes!And how many of you have heard so many defence experts that there are neighbours invoved!

Come to think of it,they have made a slaughter house out of swat and waziristan and now Para chinar yet again.And who is at the receiving end—our army and thus Pakistan.Soldiers have been brutally beheaded,decapitated,I mean murdered in every possible way that goes against Islam. Has somebody ever cared to raise a voice for them,these soldiers,why should they pay for somebody else’s sins including ours.Did they pray for this kind of martyrdom—be killed by their own brethren and yet in the end be condemned by those who think they are the CIVIL SOCIETY of this country.We could watch our cricket team lose one match after another and yet believe them when they say they are playing for their country and yet are ready to savage those poor soldiers who for a measly few thousand rupees spend their entire lives on postings protecting our borders ,die in suicide bombings,are beheade,leaving behind them their poor parents and orphaned kids.And doesn’t it hurt when you hear most of them are in their early twenties—young and full of dreams as you must be!
And what do we tell them—YOU ARE CORRUPT!Look at yourselves people,how many amongst us are honest…And so what if we are honest,can we serve our country in a way they do,PUTTING OUR LIFE ON THE LINE.

An example in case is the Turkish people.Their army has never staged a coup,it’s nonetheless very powerful and always has a say in the govt.So whenever there army is targetted,the Turkish people has always come out on the streets to voice their support for the army.America is engaged in two major countries and many international strategic points in the world—it has never felt the force of it because the people at home don’t create any problems.

So why do I ask you about swat and waziristan.And pray don’t forget Dera Ismail khan,Tank and Parachinar.They are not swarming with the Taliban,no not at all.It’s just that the educated lot like you and myself is so cowardly that they don’t dare ask the Taliban to get lost.In Bannu they beheaded women just recently on mere suspicion only,in one of the tribal areas they beheaded a dozen or so men after a trial that was based on personal motives.They killed a lady teacher because she dared to defy their order of not teaching girls,and they blew up the only all girls high school in waziristan.

Wait there is more! In Kohat,Mardan,Charsadda ,Swabi and lo and behold even in Peshawar ,they have been sending out threatening letters.Is THIS then cause for concern or THAT which is happening in the center? What if the Taliban hijack our NWFP tomorrow and consequently made another Afghanistan,wouldn’t then the very existence of Pakistan be at stake?Would we be like the Iraqis then?These are very realistic things,think over them—if this situation God forbid was to develop,what would you write for then?

I remember reading this Indian's comment on BBC’s viewer’s forum that India and Israel need not do anything considering what Pakistanis themselves are involved in! Is there any refuting it? The lawyers without cleaning up their act first ,have put Pakistan on the path of confrontation.The media followed suit—I mean they needed a lot of growing up before they could even think of changing their country.

our heart is in the right place but sadly you are missing the point that we might just see another Bangladesh or Afghanistan,whatever you want to term it but instead of standing up against that,we are creating an even difficult situation for our motherland.Believe me,IN RECENT DAYS THERE WAS A SUICIDE BLAST JUST A FEW BLOCKS FROM MY HOME.So you tell me then at a time when our army is so demoralized and fighting on so many fronts,when a muslim has no hesitation killing his brother,when NWFP might just slip away,when exploitation has become so realistic,are we justified in creating mayhem for the sake of something we have never really practiced.

My soldiers need my support,my country needs peace,not agitation for the heck of it.I want all expatriates to have a HOME to come back to.If somebody wants to come out on the streets let it be for the martyrs and against the Taliban.

Emergency or no emergency,I WANT THE MAP-MAKERS TO EAT THEIR WORDS,COME 2010!!!!!!!!