It’s in our own backyard
“We are going to cut these soldiers into pieces one by one, and we will send these pieces to their commanders,” a Taliban spokesman said about the 17 Pakistani troops who were kidnapped in a brazen terrorist raid on a military outpost in Tank last weekend. One soldier was killed in the raid. Nine paramilitary troops were killed and 19 injured in an attack on a garrison in Bannu the next day.
But a country that is furious over American raids on a tribal region it admits it cannot control does not react the same way to attacks by the Taliban. While the US has denied the Pakistan army’s allegation that the NATO attack on a Pakistani checkpost on the Afghan border last month was deliberate, the Taliban routinely release videos in which they behead and cut Pakistani troops into pieces.
Their spokesman said Friday’s attack was to avenge the killing of Taj Gul Mehsud, an operational commander who had orchestrated several attacks on Pakistani soldiers. He was killed in a US drone attack in October. But Pakistan opposes drone attacks.
If we must end ties with the US after the November 26 attack that it regrets, should we not also end ties with the Taliban who have killed more soldiers and policemen since then, and want to cut many more into pieces? Taliban killed three soldiers in an IED blast in Kurram Agency on December 17, another two soldiers in clashes in Orakzai and Khyber agencies on December 16, four children and two adult civilians during a search operation in Khyber Agency and one policeman in Peshawar’s Badhabir area on December 13, three policemen and a pedestrian in a gunfight after they abducted two policemen in Hangu on December 12, three Rangers troops in a bombing in Karachi on December 9; two soldiers in a battle in Kurram on December 6, and one soldier in Orakzai on November 27.
Also since November 26, Taliban have blown up two primary schools for girls in Charsadda, one girls’ school in Tank, another one in Jamrud (three children were injured), and one boys school in Landi Kotal. Ten Shia men have been killed in what appear to be sectarian attacks in December this year.
The wife of a Taliban leader in Karachi arrested after a gunfight earlier this month confessed to being involved in at least nine terrorist activities planned by her husband, including the embarrassing attack on the Mehran navy base in Karachi that was popularly blamed on the US. Qari Shahid belonged neither to India nor to the US. He had been a journalist, a member of the Karachi Press Club, and an operative of our very own Jamaat-e-Islami for eight years. If we want to find our enemy, these are good clues to where we should start looking.
But at a time when the Pakistani military establishment thinks the country’s security is at stake, the best allies it could find were 30 religious outfits calling for Jihad in a public gathering in Lahore last week, former friends now grouping together in Imran Khan’s party, and Hafiz Gul Bahadur who announced earlier this month he will set up checkpoints on roads to ensure private trucks are not violating the army’s embargo on supplies to NATO troops in Afghanistan. They all find common enemies in the US, India and Pakistan’s elected president.
Imran Khan says terrorism in Pakistan is a result of a flawed foreign policy in the last 10 years based on an alliance with the US. There have been two ministers for foreign affairs in the last 10 years. Both of them are in Imran Khan’s party, and sat on either side of the newly popular leader at his recent public meeting. While Pakistan’s major TV channels aired that tragic joke for several hours on December 25, there were no reports of another public rally in Swat the next day.
When militants took over Swat to slaughter its men and flog its women, when the government was forced to persist with a failed truce, and when fears of the militancy spilling over to the rest of the country resulted in a military operation, the lives of members of the Awami National Party were on the line. Although they have been accused of being complicit in the establishment’s policies, they were part of the only successful military operation against terrorists so far, and have lost key leaders and workers in this war.
Monday’s public meeting in Mingora’s Grassy Ground – where Sufi Muhammad had started his rebellion with a speech made to gun-wielding Taliban – was symbolic of decisive victory against the Taliban. And that is perhaps why it was not aired on TV.
The writer is a media and culture critic and works at The Friday Times. He tweets @paagalinsaan and gets email at [email protected]
I will tell you what the tragic joke is. Which is that you pay your regards to the architects of these policies and hold the foot soldiers responsible for executing them. You cannot seriously hold people working under iron dictatorship liable for the setting of policies.
Soldiers being kidnapped in numbers like that? The Pakistani soldiers must be really bad at their jobs How could they not defend a post? Attackinf is a lot harder than defending a post. Seriously, these army men are over paid employees who arent capable of their jobs. They couldnt even detect US troops when they came for bin laden and now they are blaming civilian govt. Guess what, its not the civilian govt running the country. Its the pakistan army so the blame has to go there.
Yes this strategic depth has become a strategic threat.
Our enemies are barbaric Talibans and its financier Saudi Arabia. USA is not our enemy who speaks of human rights and freedom of religion. Why not Saudi Arabia ever spoke of human rights and freedom of religion? USA gave freedom to Blacks. When slavery of women will end in Saudi Arabia?
ever read a history book? or a newspaper?
You want to read Islamic History and how it was spread by Talibans. Check out this: http://tinyurl.com/7buhrmm
Harris, you always speak truth. Pakistan must identify its friends and enemies clearly.
God bless Harris! You should be our Chief of Army Staff. You hit always in the Bull’s eye.
Talibans are merciless Saudi infidels. They practice Saudi funded Wahabism. It is a new 200 years old offshoot of Islam like Quadiani. It is mainly practiced in Saudi Arabia. Wahabism is based of intense hate for all religions including Sunni Islam. But they hate Shias the most. That is why there is a cold war going on between Saudi Arabia & Iran.
You cannot win a war when you don’t know your enemy. Pakistan Army have to wake up by now. As you said, enemy is not USA but Saudi Wahabism and its merciless Taliban agents.
How, pray, have the ANP been "complicit in the establishment's policies"?
Even when lahorekarachiislamabad liberatis praise "people's parties" they do it in a backhanded manner.
I'm not from Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad and certainly not a liberal. As to how ANP has been complicit, read Farhat Taj's December 10 op-ed in Daily Times: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=201…
Harris most of things you said are truth ..but i argue with few as how come suicide attacks are reduced since army took a hard stand against so called US trainers after Raymond Dvis incident..Past strategic depth is our current strategic Death ..innocent soldiers who die for good cause can never argue for purpose of such wars. ..cuz these wars are beneficial for our slow fat Generals ..so they play golf , poker while soldiers die in fields … Universities of terrorism are there with suicide bombers with a tag of " Sale" on their foreheads …where US go and buy SB from our very much own Clan
Shoaib, Suicide Bombers are exclusive specialty of Madras's run by Taliban. Nobody can buy a dying person, only promise of Heaven can do it. How much money will you need from USA to become a suicide bomber?
The author is either 'criminally' ignorent or deliberating protecting his pay masters who have created so called Taliban terror.They are and were all CIA operatives like RAYMOND DAVIS.It is unfortunate but true that US investment on some individuals and media houses is the result of such prepostrous analysis.
Mr Khan, are your pay masters are Talibans loaded with Saudi money and Wahabi ideology?
I may also add that being on the pay role itself this paper does NOT print anything against its pay masters in Washington.
Pakistan Today is a new voice of freedom. Freedom of speech. They rarely sensor comments. Who is your Pay Master dude?
so the US are white knights out to solve the worlds problems while the taliban are imperialists trying to take over the world?
is it possible that its the other way around?!
No. Taliban have agenda for world domination of Wahabi Islam, which is invented 200 years ago. Saudi Royal family will rule the whole world and will butcher anyone who will challenge their rule.
and btw… imran khan is not the only who thinks faulty foreign policy is the reason… so his having former foreign ministers at his side doesnt invalidate that argument…
Not Taliban Zardari is responsible for it…..
Pls. correct the news Mr. Pakistan Today…. our army has been killed (Shaheed) in the government of zardari and no body raise the voice against them … with such incident government should be hanged till their death….
You are factually incorrect, there is difference between Afghan Taliban and Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan! The Afghans never declared war on Pakistanis! The TTP did! And do you know where they get their funding from? India!! Some of the caught TTP were found to be Uzbeks!
They were Uzbeks because ISI had been funding Uzbek terrorists, Chechen terrorists and Uighur terrorists, as proudly admitted by many of its ex chiefs.
After 9/11, ISI invited their Uzbek terrorist friends to reside in its tribal areas. The same Uzbeks turned against the army – in one instance they started fighting the ISI when they were being moved to FATA and several of them were killed on a place neart Kohat that has now become a local monument and named 'shaheedaan-e-islam chowk' because of this incident.
Saanp ko jitna bhee doodh pilao wo kaatay ga zaroor!
India is a secular democracy with freedom of religion like USA, Europe, Australia, Japan, etc. Taliban machinery is run on the promise of Jannat only. Suicide Bomber gives hell to hundreds of innocent people before getting his virgin girls in Heaven. What a selfish
what can we say..?
USA is not our enemy…lollzzzzzzzzzzz
Harris the Great! You cannot win a war when you don’t know your enemy. Enemy is not USA but Saudi funded Wahabism and its merciless Taliban agents.
Let us think like we are in an alternate universe (aka Pakistan)
If US kills our troups then the khaki's have right to complain because US gives $$$$$.
When talebans kills our troop, khaki's dont complain because taleban doesnt give khakis $$$! duh? Cant you follow this simple logic?
Great! Land of pure. You got it.
The writer of this article is a true mother fucker who writes to mend ways of U.S against Pakistan. Has he ever written something bad about American policies? Has he ever written something for the good will of Pakistan? Off course no. What America is doing is right? Are drone attacks are in faith of Pakistan where mostly innocents are killed to grow up bad feelings for Pakistan. Faithful tribesmen who still love Pakistan are the main target of drones. Has any operative of TTP ever been killed in such attacks? Off course no. So whats the purpose of such attacks ? Only to make our own people, enemies of Pakistan. Even foreigners and some neutral american has started saying that drone attacks are unjustified and totally counter productive but our own people (getting money from foreigners) are writing in its favor, like this mother fucker.
What a Pathetic Writer this Is. He Always Wite in Negative !!!! Simply Idiot….
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