Allies, or Enemies?

In the last visit of British Prime Minister David Cameron to India, talking about Pakistan he commented that Pakistan “should not promote the export of terror, whether to India or whether to Afghanistan or anywhere else in the world,” and also accused Pakistan that it should stop its double game, talking of stabilizing Afghanistan publicly on one hand and on the other, clandestinely supporting Afghan insurgents.Whatever objective these pejorative remarks had; maybe to strengthen ties with India, chastising Pakistan’s spy agency or even if he seriously meant these words as he refuses to track back on his dictum, but one thing is clear to the Pakistani nation that the reward for alliance with America in this ‘war on terrorism’ is only bashing and smacking, and that too internationally, on our traditional enemy’s soil.

For the past seven or eight years, this nation has been persistently hammered that this is our war and hence we have to fight it. Our great intellectuals and leaders have desperately tried to prove this to the nation of almost 17 million. The war that originally started by America with the search of larger-than-life figures of Osama bin laden and Mullah Omer (and with obvious ulterior motives of gaining control of world’s resources) has now actually become our homeland war. Though we were a nuclear power, and still are, but we succumbed to the threats given to us. Now today we are the ones fighting this war and also are the fuel for this war.

Previously, radicalization was synonymous to Talibans and Al Qaeeda, but the investigation of Parade Lane Blast, blast in IIU etc, uncover that the situation is now slipping out of control. Our youth, probably hailing from middle class and educated families are also being recruited by Taliban or like agencies to perpetrate terrorism in the country. More and more youth are being enticed to join these paths as an easy way to hop to heaven. On the other hand our army is engaged in fighting the Talibans while drone attacks regularly kill countless innocent citizens. In short, we are the ones paying the highest price for joining this war which apparently has no advantage for us. Be it social, economics or political, we are only plunging steadily into the abyss from where there is no way back.

So the war started in the name of Osama bin laden has actually become a colossal humanitarian and security crisis. After eight years in this costly war, Hillary Clinton remarked that Pakistan should do more and speculated that Osama bin laden is hiding somewhere in Pakistan. With due respect, Mrs. Clinton, but what a dumb thing to say? If Mrs. Clinton knows that he is hiding somewhere in Pakistan then why can’t she just locate him for us, so that we can put an end to this merciless war and take back the road to development that is checked by this war.