Blindsided?

Tragedies have a dangerous and unstable relationship with confusion. As Pakistan buries and mourns its fallen soldiers, in the aftermath of NATO actions worthy of great condemnation, we must decide what to salvage and what to bury for good.
As NATO announced an investigation, many in Pakistan screamed that it would not be acceptable. For its part, NATO seems to have a policy of not apologising whenever its ammunition leads to unintended deaths. This policy has been followed in other theatres of war including Libya. Each time it did offer condolences and regrets. Strictly from a policy perspective one could debate the merits of this policy either way but this is not the space for such an exercise.
But what about the view from the other side? How important is the difference between condolences and saying, ‘we are sorry’? If you intend on being a literalist then, sure, there is a difference. However if you are just looking for an acknowledgement of a mistake having been made then that exists in what has been said. What I do agree with is that the delay has not helped. For some inexplicable reason, President Obama forgot the sense of empathy that his alma mater, Harvard Law School, prides on inculcating in its students — it took him ill-advisedly long to offer condolences. He should have spoken sooner. And when it comes to Pakistan he needs to speak in favour of its people more often. We Pakistanis are a sensitive lot. Visiting a neighbour and not coming to our house is a sure-as-death-and-taxes way of offending a Pakistani. Sounds silly? This does not have to make sense to the Americans. This just needs to be accepted as a lesson in cultural sensitivity.
The people and the civilian government need to be viewed separately from what the military does. All that Pakistanis read is the USA carrying out drone strikes and then asking Pakistan to ‘do more’. Whether the White House likes it or not, it needs to hear this: you need to say it more often that you care about the civilian deaths in Pakistan. In lawyerly terms, you need a better (revised) brief and a different communication strategy. Do not throw stats of aid to our military at us. Talk to us, the people. We Pakistanis, just like Americans, respond better when you talk to us rather than whisper in someone else’s ear to give us the message.
For our part, we need to realise that if America’s power breeds its arrogance (and far too often ignorance) then our own manipulated insecurities breed fears and conspiracy theories. Our media and the army need to stop screaming that the attack was deliberate while there is an investigation underway. For the right-wing media and the military establishment every tragedy is an opportunity to grind their rotten axe — and that axe makes Pakistan bleed more than any number of foreign bombs. There can be no greater disservice to our fallen soldiers than using their blood to colour the military’s designs. Sure, the Pakistani government should register its protest at all appropriate international forums. But do not let anyone fool you into believing that our military establishment is blameless in the larger context.
The world has legitimate concerns about the Pakistan Army shielding the Haqqani network and its sympathies for the Taliban. Why not question the army and those who act as its apologists? Those demanding cutting off all ties with the US over this tragedy would do well to raise their voices for a different cause. Let me see you protest as you thump your chest (for good effect) and demand that the Pakistan Army disclose how many ‘suspects’ it has extra judicially killed and imprisoned. Also, how many officers of this army have been held accountable for this? Or was that all a conspiracy too? Question and mourn the deaths of Ahmadis, Shias and Christians at the hands of militant bigots. Protest the loss of those innocent lives.
The electronic media’s exploitation of anti-American sentiment deserves the highest condemnation too. Talk show hosts need to get a grip and rub out their anti-US fetish. The decision of the cable operators to block ‘anti-Pakistan’ news channels is ridiculous. We may not like all that we hear but we need to hear it to engage with it. The last thing we need is to turn into an even more self-righteous and deaf nation. Why don’t our TV channels question, with the same rigor, the role of the army in hiding Osama Bin Laden and sheltering Haqqani? Why not have a genuine debate about the benefits of drone strikes? And any politician ascribing radicalism to drone strikes is a liar, plain and simple. Questioning of motives is only reserved for Veena Malik, USA and elected governments while the army and its cronies like Mansoor Ijaz receive deference. Shame on us!
By believing opportunists, blaming foreign powers for everything, we insult our own intelligence. The more we allow of it the greater the tragedy and the quicker the death of our collective conscience. There will be no rockets fired or official funerals held as our conscience dies. The ghosts, however, of such a tragedy will continue to haunt our children. By abandoning reason and giving into mindless rhetoric we are the on the verge of leaving only one thing for our children; nightmares awakening them to a hellish reality.

The writer is a Barrister and an Advocate of the High Courts. He is currently pursuing an LL.M at a law school in the United States. He can be reached at [email protected]