Irans Revolutionary Guards commander said on January 2 that they had shot down many spy planes including the two Western spy drones entering the Iranian airspace. Bravo! This is the example of a living nation. And this is in sharp contrast to the 124 American drone attacks in 2010 inside Pakistan that killed 1,184 persons, though, according to a report in a national daily, those among killed were 59% civilians while the remaining 41% terrorists belonging to numerous militant groups based in the Pak-Afghan tribal belt.
Even if 41% terrorists were killed as against the 59% civilians, the spared terrorists might have killed more than 59% civilians in suicide or terrorist attacks. This logic does not qualify the justification of giving anyone free reigns, no matter be it America or anyone else. This mandate to violate the international law and sovereignty of our country has set a precedent for other rivals to act inside our territories as and when they deem it fit.
It is, therefore, a dilemma and perhaps the compulsion of situational tolerance that we, who have the capability of shooting down the drones (Pakistan Air Force shot down an Indian drone in 2002), are not resorting to opening a front against Americans, who have nothing to do with mercy because the innocents being killed collaterally are not American citizens. Look at the casualties, sacrifices and damages the Pakistan Army, its jawans and officers have suffered during the last many years more than 3000 have embraced martyrdom.
Couldnt the Pakistan Army use missiles, rockets, tanks, cannons, guns, airpower of fighter jets and gunships? Why take risk of so many lives while using men in ground assaults or operations? Certainly because the Pakistan Army was acting in its own areas, against terrorists hiding behind its own people, using the human shield; they had to tread carefully, sift through the good to find out the bad. And in the course they themselves became victims.
One can recall an incident: the terrorists saw the Army jawans coming, they immediately posed to stand as if offering prayers, the jawans stopped from shooting them and moved forward. As the troops moved ahead, the terrorists broke their prayers, took their guns and opened fire on jawans in the most shameful act of deceit.
ESCHMALL SARDAR
Peshawar
