Shouldn’t we stand up and face the real enemy?
So our army brass has now come to the brilliant conclusion that the Talibans/jihadis’ internal threat constitute the biggest security risk to the country. Indeed! This belated acknowledgment comes after a period of no less than a decade when this internal enemy first launched its attacks against the state and people of Pakistan, after the killings of no less than 40, 000 of our citizens and forces, wounding of thousands more, and after the horrific destruction wrought by this enemy from within.
But even this eureka moment of the army in recognising Taliban as the country’s biggest enemy does not mean that the army is ready to take action to confront and defeat the enemy. The army wants the civilian government to devise a “comprehensive strategy” to fight this enemy. And the civilian government in turn wants the army to further tweak and “redefine” its reading of this grave security threat.
The army also seeks a “national consensus” to launch an offensive against this enemy, though in the previous history of Pakistan lack of any consensus or popular mandate never prevented the army from initiating any military operations be that Kargil, or the 1948 and 1965 Kashmir operations or the 1971 East Pakistan operation etc.
If past is any indication, these exercises by the government and the army in redefining threats, obtaining consensus and formulating strategies might take another ten years. By that time we hope the Pakistan state would still be existing in its current political shape.
We are now a country with a thousand cuts bleeding profusely to death. Though the army is primarily liable for this state of affairs in first creating this Taliban/jihadi enemy and then failing to defend the country from its onslaught, our governments, people at large including the civil society and the intelligentsia cannot be absolved in the aggravation and perpetuation of this vile threat from within.
In their refusal to confront and fight this enemy face to face, they have come up with various familiar alibis and excuses, conspiracies and theories, denials and delusions – some of which are novel, some absurd, some hilarious, but all based on capitulation, cowardice and fear.
For instance, we have all heard the Western-coined mantra that education and jobs are needed to defeat this Taliban’s terrorism. It’s a no brainer that generally educated youth gainfully employed would be less prone to destructive activities, but to educate a whole generation and create job opportunities and businesses would take more than a decade.
As Ghalib said: ‘Kaun jeeta hai teri zulf ke sir honay tuk.’ In the meantime, should the terrorism be allowed to continue be destroy the country? Would it be acceptable and alright for us that another 40,000 or may be 100,000 of our brothers and sisters be slaughtered while we wait to reap the peaceful fruits of such generational steps? The first and foremost task is to tackle the immediate problem at hand that is destroying you.
Same goes for the arguments that we must “strengthen our institutions” or “change the mindset” of the terrorists. Sure, these are laudable measures but they are very long-term. First, being on the bubble, on the cusp of victory or defeat, we must defeat the insurgents before we ourselves are defeated
Then there are the self-deceiving denials and conspiracy theories that the Talibans/jihadists “cannot be Muslims”, that they are “American, Indian or Israeli agents” and that we are fighting “America’s war”. If this is all true, does it alter the basic fact that they are attacking our state and our people? In fact it makes them more reviled as enemies and gives us all the more reason to crush them.
Whatever you might call them, terrorists or insurgents or militants or miscreants or Indian, American or Israeli agents, the fact is that they have killed about seven times more civilians and soldiers of Pakistan than India did in all the wars combined.
Let’s take a step back and look at the way we are living – petrified, cowering in the shadows, hiding behind ten foot walls, and concrete bunkers while expecting any moment to be shot at, kidnapped, or blown into pieces by our internal enemy. Is this the life of the brave, independent and free that Jinnah promised? Is this the life of Iqbal’s ‘shaheen’ – unrestrained, proud and aiming high? How many more armed guards will we keep on adding to our protective cocoon of bodyguards? 10, 20, 50 or 100?
Yes, we’re not a failed state yet, but from Peshawar to Karachi, we are living a petrified, humiliated and subdued existence that borders on the shameful and the surreal. We are not really living with our human potential but rather going through the motions of living.
In the economic and social fields, courtesy of our declared enemy, the country has descended to near bottom of the social, economic and welfare rankings in various world indices of the UN and other international organisations. No amount of good governance can usher in prosperity and progress without first dealing and defeating our internal enemy in our midst.
Can anyone give a single example of any nation that achieved progress and prosperity while a domestic, armed organised group of its people inflicted at will murder, mayhem, bombings on its citizens, its institutions, its cities and its security forces? Among our Asian neighbours, China, S Korea, Japan, Malaysia etc performed economic miracles by providing a peaceful, violence-free, law-abiding, safe environment for its peoples to work and excel, unworried about their safety, and with the strength and resolve of their state.
Shouldn’t we stand up and face the enemy rather than being content to be at the receiving end of enemy’s blows – physical, psychological and economic – ad nauseam? For how long more are we condemned to live in mortal fear of the brutalising Taliban and jihadists? This is no smack-talk but a glimpse of stark reality that we stubbornly refuse to face.
If, God forbid, Pakistan does go down, then we hope it doesn’t go down in history as a unique nation that refused to fight and defend itself.
The writer is a corporate attorney and an analyst based in the USA. He can be contacted at: [email protected]
Excellent article by Mr Kamal. No doubt this is the correct and proper way to go, but unfortunately we are too weak, indecisive and afraid to do what is right in the long term. Pakistan and our people have suffered tremendously at the hands of these Talibans and Jihadis. Fully agree with the author for his bold approach.
What a f@rt!
Kiyani & Co. are the biggest enemies facing Pakistan…Who doesn’t know he owns the contract for NATO containers and, on top of that, is getting paid $1 Million A DAY to ensure US cargo flights get all the protection they need….
Pakistan Tribes Turn Against Army
And no surprise! Besides daily murderous raids into peoples homes, their brothers in the PAF have come forward to admit they have attacked their own countrymen with atleast 5,500 sorties dropping at least “10,000 big bombs”….and you are surprised when a PAF base gets attacked! LOL!!
“Yes, we’re not a failed state yet, but from Peshawar to Karachi, we are living a petrified, humiliated and subdued existence that borders on the shameful and the surreal.”
Yes, we are “petrified, humiliated” because our armed forces don’t even know what a border looks like or what defending airspace means….but they know everything about conquering their own country and setting up DHAs all over….
“the fact is that they have killed about seven times more civilians and soldiers of Pakistan than India did in all the wars combined.”
Care to tell me how many times more civilians has “our” military taken out in Balochistan west of Indus, from Gwadar to Chitral?
You can relax Mr Kamal and nurse your "Naturalized Alien" status in the US. We here are quite capable to deal with these issues. The assessment that the enemy is within is not new; its as old as the taliban insurgency itself. We can especially do without your tantrums against the Armed Forces of Pakistan at this juncture.
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You had your long years to prove it …
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Fail …
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Top class article and Kudos to the author
"Defending from within" or speaking from 'with-out'??
Another bhagora telling us who/what we are…shameless!!!
"Shouldn’t we stand up and face the enemy rather than being content to be at the receiving end of enemy’s blows – physical, psychological and economic – ad nauseam?"
You, sir, receive no blows; in fact YOU deliver them as taxes you pay help purchase those drones and missiles they fire (And probably earn your living defending the corporations that make those missiles and drones!)
"conspiracy theories that …we are fighting “America’s war”.
CT my arse! But good job defending your country!!!
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"For how long more are we condemned to live in mortal fear of the brutalising Taliban and jihadists?"
Oh F.U. One think I do love about us Pakistanis is WE DON'T "live in mortal fear of the brutalizing Taliban and jihadists" NOR ARE WE AFRAID OF THE DEVIL ITSELF (U.S.of A.) that you have adopted as your dad!
"If, God forbid, Pakistan does go down"
Or not, one thing is certain: You will still be living in US so it really doesn't matter to you.
So take your advice and put it where the sun don't shine!!! And go have a beer with Hussain Haqqani, another well-wisher of Pakistan….you sound just like him!!!
Many of my fellow Pakistani citizens are unfortunately hypocrites, cowards, jingoistic, rely on empty patriotic slogans as indicated by some of the above negative comments. That is the main reason why our country is not progressing and is almost failing. We refuse to face the truth and indulge in fantasies, hatred, obsessions and illusions.
This author is telling the truth about the Talibans' threat to the country and to the people. But we choose to indulge in false pride, falsehoods, denial of reality, burying our heads in sand instead of facing the enemy and fighting to defend ourselves. Really pathetic and shameful on our part. The whole world is laughing at us. Great article. Thanks PT.
"Empty patriotic slogans" they are not and not buying your b.s. on this war on terror doen not make us "hypocrites, cowards, jingoistic" (speaking of jingoistic, the badge fits you well 😉 ). Only fools who are blind to the rampant corruption of the elite — maybe because they benefit from it — believe the West's boogeyman "Taliban" are keeping us from "progressing". Go ahead and have your nightmares because you believe a Taliban is hiding under your bet but don't expect the rest of us to shiver like a "pathetic and shameful" soul like you 😉
"might take another ten years. By that time we hope the Pakistan state would still be existing in its current political shape."
God forbid another ten years of his "current political shape." Is the author on crack??
You make too much sense! Obviously, you are a jew, hindu or a CIA agent
A very balanced article. Please wake up and stop making 2 opinions about the enemies of this state. Trust Pak Army and stand behind them. TTP should be considered as an enemy and there should no doubt about it.
How are you going to confront the jihadi mindset which is in every street, every house.
@ foulmouthed: How are you going to confront the jihadi mindset which is in every street, every house?
Very good qs, in fact a crucial one. Agree that the Jihadi mindset is unfortunately prevailing everywhere in our land. To defeat it or gradually eliminate it is by decisively confront and defeat the main proponent of this mindset: the Talibans and Jihadis. They personify and symbolise this mindset and they must be defeated in the battlefield. When the people see that Jihadism/terrorism has been defeated and that the Pak state and the army has been victorious, they will have seconds about the benefits and viability and usefullness of following a defeated ideology. Its human psychology. People go with the vistirs. Take a look at human history. For instance the Fascism and Naziism of Germany and Italy was getting stronger with each victory over other countries by Hitler's Germany. But when the Allies and USfinally crushed and annihilated the German Nazis, their mindset of fascism also vanished. Gone with wind. Where is it now?
And on the other hand, if Pak is not able to defeat the Talibans/jihadis militarily, or if its a stalement, then the Jihadi mindset will hail it as a victory of their fascist ideology and mindset and this mindset will become stronger and more deeper and entrenched among the people. And the country will suffer in the long run. Fighting and war is bad but we have no other option to defend ourselves.
@foulmouthed: Regarding confronting this jihadi mindset through education, economic development, jobs etc. Yes these are good, peaceful steps but they will take a very long time to bear fruits and to change this mindset, if at all. Atleast a whole generation would be required for this, but by that time, this mindset/jihadism might be impossible to dislodge or change.
Kamal are you telling us army is not fighting talibans, then who is. Since you know alot about the subject can you also tell us who is financing these people and bla.
@Nadeem. Some clarifiaction: Yes our Army is fighting the Tlaibans and they deserve some credit for making strenuous efforts and for sacrificing a lot of their precious lives. But unfortunately the Army has been fighting in a haphazard, half-hearted, piecemeal manner without an overall strategy for decisive victory over the Talibans. And a clear cut victory we do need if we want the country to eliminate this enemy for good and for progress and prosperity. Victory like Sri Lanka achieved over their own Tamil terrorists or like India did against the Sikhs insurgency.
About who is financing the Talibans, let me ask you: does it really matter if your task is to defeat this enemy?. Whether its their own financing, or financing by Arabs, or Indians how does it effect the goal and intent to eliminate and defeat this enemy. If Talibans for instance are being financed by the Americans (crazy at it may sound), will you stop fighting or killing them because they are funded by the Americans? In fact its all the more reason to fight and defeat them if they are being financed by some external forces.
I can agree with you partialy army is fighting talibans with keeping some doors open for truce. But remember Political will is also necessary for fighting a war when there is a civil govt sitting there no matter how weak the govt is.About financing it is abousolute must to find out and cut off the arms and money supply lines of enemy to win a war so I would argue that it is amust to find out who is suppoerting them and expose them. If you cut off those supply line war will be over in days.
@Nadeem: You're absolutely correct that cutting off the funding of an enemy is an important tool of the war. I agree that we should try to locate and choke off the funding sources for Talibans in our bid to fight and defeat them in the battlefield. What I was implying that many of us in Pakistan point to external support of Talibans, their financing and their being foreign agents etc as a pretext for inaction against them. This should not serve as a distraction to defeat the enemy
About political will, yes thats important and as I've stated that our civil society and civil Govt is also to be blamed for not taking on the Talibans to seek complete victory over them. Having said that, we have seen amny operations pre-Afghanistan where Army never bothered to seek political will or consensus before launching wars , and I gave many examples of that. Moreover lack of existence of a political will, tho desirable, should not be taken by the army as a mandatory precondition to defend the country and the people against a declared war by an enemy. If any group, within or without attacks the state or the army or the people, its the basic duty of the army to fight and crush that enemy and seek victory. No excuses. Thats the bottom line.
Agree with your explanations, they all make eminent sense Kamal Sb..Kudos to your credible analysis and excellent write up…thanks
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