When did Pakistan ever have genuine and complete sovereignty of its terrorist in its history? It was the US 50 years ago when Gary Powers took off in his U2 plane from a USA base in Pakistan near Peshawar and was shot down over the USSR. The breakaway of East Pakistan is another glaring example of the fragile bond of national cohesion of Pakistan’s sovereignty. Making noises about the sovereignty is shying away from the reality that the defender of Pakistan’s sovereignty will not be able to defend the country without the Americans military hardware.
It is true that sovereignty belongs to the people or the nation, not to an individual or any one institution. Sovereignty can flow only from a constitution that is based on a compact between the people and the federation. The laws are made by legislators and administrated by judges who may strike down a law if it is held to be oppressive or discriminately.
Sovereignty mainly refers to people’s ability to make their decisions on their own through a democratic process. Pakistan’s constitution vests sovereignty over the entire universe in Allah Almighty.
Pakistan needs to restore itself in integrity as opposed to superficially defined sovereignty and help in eradicating the scourge of terrorism from its soil by apprehending the leaders of banned outfits instead of banning their organisations.
S T HUSSAIN
Lahore