- And our own war against terror
One would readily agree with the PM that Pakistan should work for peace beyond its borders including in Afghanistan. A peaceful environment is crucial for restoring calm in Pakistan and allowing the government to concentrate fully on the country’s economic and social development.
This said, one is forced to conclude that Imran Khan has a skewed view of recent history when he says the nation had fought an ‘imposed war’ inside the country at a very high cost. Let us put the facts straight. Two waves of jihadis and Taliban were brainwashed, trained, equipped and sent to fight in Afghanistan from Pakistan’s side. They created problems not only for Afghanistan and subsequently Pakistan but also for several other countries. While Samiul Haq prided himself on being the father of the Taliban and Gen (r) Naseerullah Babar lovingly called the Taliban “my children”, their splinters included the deadly TTP and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.
After the US invasion of Afghanistan Osama bin Laden, the mentor of the anti-Soviet jihadis, managed to cross into Pakistan’s tribal areas along with his terrorist squad that comprised Afghans, Arabs, Uzbeks and Uighurs, etc. When they started spreading their tentacles in FATA, military had to be sent to rein them in. The jihadis went back on solemn promises made to the tribal administration and launched attacks on Pakistani soldiers. The fight against the terrorists henceforth became Pakistan’s own war. When the Swat terrorists challenged the writ of the state military action was rightly ordered against them. A similar operation had to be conducted in South Waziristan to stop the terrorists from wresting the tribal agency from Pakistan’s control. Scores of army men embraced martyrdom fighting Pakistan’s own war against the terrorists. Military operation in North Waziristan was the last major event in our war against terrorism.
Imran Khan has to realise that the war against terrorism, and an equally important war against extremism, has to be waged till there is peace in the country and a culture of tolerance has been created. Meanwhile Pakistan has to effectively ban and remove from its soil whatever networks have been sanctioned by the UN.
