Stable Pakistan Must For Winning War On Terrorism
Muhammad Khurshid
August 26, 2007
The impression that Al Qaeda is from the poor class is totally wrong as the evidences show that the ruling class of the world is responsible for creation of Al Qaeda and now they have been financing them for creating terror in the world. The events taking place in Pakistan for the last few days show that ruling class is responsible for creation of terrorists in world. The operation in tribal areas situated on Pak-Afghan border is just an effort to hoodwink the world.
Political instability in Pakistan is the handiwork of those people, who do not want an end to terrorism. Just look to the case of former prime minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif, who was allowed to leave the country after deal brokered by Saudi government now has been trying to return the country and challenge President Musharraf. Musharraf has actually show some sincerity in war on terror.
According to an editorial of a newspaper, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s advice to the media, asking reporters and analysts not to mention Saudi Arabia in the debate underway regarding his return from exile following the Supreme Court verdict, comes a bit late in the day. It was through the Kingdom’s good offices that he and his family were bailed out of the country seven years ago. The favour came at a time when, after conviction, stiff punishment awaited the Sharifs behind bars. There is little reason to doubt Gen Musharraf’s claim that the request for the Saudis’ intercession in the matter was initiated by the Sharifs, and that he (the general) only obliged ‘Pakistan’s friends’. If Mian Sahib now thinks that stopping any reference in the Pakistani media to the friendly role played by the Saudis is going to save him the embarrassment of facing his benefactors without discomfiture, he may only be soothing his own nerves. Granted, the Sharifs have the right to return to their country as ruled by the apex court, but doing so before the agreed ten-year period is in breach of the undertaking the exiled brothers gave to their Saudi benefactors. As the adage goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
But such is Pakistani politics. Ms Bhutto is no less prone to involving foreign leaders and governments when she feels that would cut the ice with the generals. She even goes a step further, giving her best ‘scoops’ of wisdom to the foreign media or sharing her gripe against the generals with western academia (and lately with the Israeli ambassador to the US?). Let’s face it: thanks to our leaders’ penchant for opening their hearts out to foreign dignitaries, governments and the media, the world leaders are better informed of Pakistan’s internal affairs at a given point than the plebeian people of this country. This holds true for the ruling leaders as well as those in the opposition. Let’s not forget Gen Musharraf’s theatrics before the Indian and the American media. Lately, a call from the State Department in Washington was all it took to kill all talk of emergency rule. Why, then, complain that Pakistan’s decisions are taken in foreign capitals? They are; if not by foreign leaders, at the least in consultation with them.
Given a near-complete failure of our foreign policy across the board, it dawns that Pakistan may not have many friends beyond its borders but that’s not true for our leaders. Some have personal equations with, while others have found confidants in, many world leaders. Reserving such disdain for one’s own people so as not to find them worthy of sharing their thoughts and policies without putting spins on them, our leaders are part of the bad image Pakistan has abroad. It is no less than tragic that the people back home should hear policy statements and political strategies enunciated by national leaders through the foreign media. This leaves one wondering as to where the real power lies in the democracy that Gen Musharraf claims Pakistan to be, and that the exiled leaders wish it to be.
The End
Political instability in Pakistan is the handiwork of those people, who do not want an end to terrorism. Just look to the case of former prime minister of Pakistan Mian Nawaz Sharif, who was allowed to leave the country after deal brokered by Saudi government now has been trying to return the country and challenge President Musharraf. Musharraf has actually show some sincerity in war on terror.
According to an editorial of a newspaper, Mian Nawaz Sharif’s advice to the media, asking reporters and analysts not to mention Saudi Arabia in the debate underway regarding his return from exile following the Supreme Court verdict, comes a bit late in the day. It was through the Kingdom’s good offices that he and his family were bailed out of the country seven years ago. The favour came at a time when, after conviction, stiff punishment awaited the Sharifs behind bars. There is little reason to doubt Gen Musharraf’s claim that the request for the Saudis’ intercession in the matter was initiated by the Sharifs, and that he (the general) only obliged ‘Pakistan’s friends’. If Mian Sahib now thinks that stopping any reference in the Pakistani media to the friendly role played by the Saudis is going to save him the embarrassment of facing his benefactors without discomfiture, he may only be soothing his own nerves. Granted, the Sharifs have the right to return to their country as ruled by the apex court, but doing so before the agreed ten-year period is in breach of the undertaking the exiled brothers gave to their Saudi benefactors. As the adage goes, you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
But such is Pakistani politics. Ms Bhutto is no less prone to involving foreign leaders and governments when she feels that would cut the ice with the generals. She even goes a step further, giving her best ‘scoops’ of wisdom to the foreign media or sharing her gripe against the generals with western academia (and lately with the Israeli ambassador to the US?). Let’s face it: thanks to our leaders’ penchant for opening their hearts out to foreign dignitaries, governments and the media, the world leaders are better informed of Pakistan’s internal affairs at a given point than the plebeian people of this country. This holds true for the ruling leaders as well as those in the opposition. Let’s not forget Gen Musharraf’s theatrics before the Indian and the American media. Lately, a call from the State Department in Washington was all it took to kill all talk of emergency rule. Why, then, complain that Pakistan’s decisions are taken in foreign capitals? They are; if not by foreign leaders, at the least in consultation with them.
Given a near-complete failure of our foreign policy across the board, it dawns that Pakistan may not have many friends beyond its borders but that’s not true for our leaders. Some have personal equations with, while others have found confidants in, many world leaders. Reserving such disdain for one’s own people so as not to find them worthy of sharing their thoughts and policies without putting spins on them, our leaders are part of the bad image Pakistan has abroad. It is no less than tragic that the people back home should hear policy statements and political strategies enunciated by national leaders through the foreign media. This leaves one wondering as to where the real power lies in the democracy that Gen Musharraf claims Pakistan to be, and that the exiled leaders wish it to be.
The End
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