Confusion At Official Level Stregthening Terrorism
Muhammad Khurshid
December 02, 2007
There is a great confusion at the official level in Pakistan and this situation is being used by the terrorists for carrying out terrorist acts. Daily scores of people have been falling prey to terrorist acts in various parts of the country and tribal areas. But there is still discussion in Pakistan whether to fight against terrorists or not. Whether terrorists are their enemies or friends.
According to a report, Three militants were killed and three others injured in two encounters between the local Taliban and Bajaur Scouts personnel here on Saturday. Officials said a group of armed Taliban went to a market in Khar in a pick-up. The Bajaur Scouts personnel encircled them and asked them to lay down arms, but they refused and hurled a grenade and opened fire on the scouts.
The security personnel retaliated and in the exchange of fire, one of the militants was killed. The other militants fled, leaving behind his body.
Political Agent Shafeerullah Khan told a newspaper that the killed militant had two identity cards in different names — Saeedullah and Ayaz — and he belonged to South Waziristan. The authorities handed over his body to the local Taliban leadership. The militants’ pick-up was impounded.
In the second incident, the scouts signalled a pick-up carrying armed Taliban in the Inayat Kallay area to stop but they lobbed a grenade on the security men, officials said.
They added that the scouts opened fire on the pick-up, killing two men and injuring three others. One of the dead men was identified as Sherzada. The injured were taken to hospital.
Local people said tension gripped the area after the encounters and bazaars in the agency were closed.
A editorial comment discussed the political situation in Pakistan. WITH just five weeks to go to election, there are few signs of the opposition parties reaching a consensus on whether to take part in the polls or not. Ms Bhutto’s assertion that her party is open to the boycott option, provided the opposition agrees on a common goal, is but an argument in favour of contesting the polls. The two JUI chiefs of their respective factions have been more direct in dismissing the idea of the boycott, and so has been the ANP which does not wish to hand over the Frontier to the religious parties without a contest. It is also clear that while both the PPP and the JUI want an independent judiciary, neither is insisting on the reinstatement of the judges sacked under the Nov 3 PCO. This leaves the Jamaat-i-Islami, the PML-N, the Tehrik-i-Insaaf and a few others that make up the APDM as the only ones who will remain out of the fray if they insist on boycotting the polls. Nonetheless, what credibility, if any, the election will have in the event is the question begging for an answer. However, Ms Bhutto has hit the nail on the head by asking the APDM what goal the alliance wishes to achieve by boycotting the election. If the idea is to deny credibility to the process, the second question is: what next? The APDM is far from being clear on what lies beyond the boycott.
Looking at the composition of the current caretaker setup and of the election commission, the opposition is justified in casting doubts on the fairness of the polls. But the opposition will also have to share the blame for the current mess in view of its failure to forge a united stance vis-à-vis the dictatorship in Islamabad whose strength is, among others, based on the disunity of its adversaries. The way things stand at the moment, the key to resolving the issue lies with President Musharraf. Ms Bhutto has already accused the current administration of partiality. For the PML-N, the rejection of Shahbaz Sharif’s nomination papers by the election commission is ample proof of its bias against the party. The only way to set aside all such worries on the part of those willing to contest the election and convince the boycotters to join the fray is for the president to convene a multi-party meeting to iron out all such differences, and to make certain changes to avoid aspersions being cast on the election process.
After hanging up his military uniform President Musharraf, too, is showing signs of strain — perhaps understandably so. For instance, in a recent interview with an American TV network, he said that even after lifting the emergency, he would not ‘allow’ any agitation politics; then he hinted that if he did not ‘like’ what he saw, he might just step down. The first was assertion of power by someone in control of the situation, the second an admission that he is losing it. The point is: if he can rein in his authoritarian streak and show the inclination to sit down to talk, with an open mind, to those opposing him, he may still not have to step down. He can scotch agitation politics by allaying the opposition’s concerns. The time to do so is now.
The End
According to a report, Three militants were killed and three others injured in two encounters between the local Taliban and Bajaur Scouts personnel here on Saturday. Officials said a group of armed Taliban went to a market in Khar in a pick-up. The Bajaur Scouts personnel encircled them and asked them to lay down arms, but they refused and hurled a grenade and opened fire on the scouts.
The security personnel retaliated and in the exchange of fire, one of the militants was killed. The other militants fled, leaving behind his body.
Political Agent Shafeerullah Khan told a newspaper that the killed militant had two identity cards in different names — Saeedullah and Ayaz — and he belonged to South Waziristan. The authorities handed over his body to the local Taliban leadership. The militants’ pick-up was impounded.
In the second incident, the scouts signalled a pick-up carrying armed Taliban in the Inayat Kallay area to stop but they lobbed a grenade on the security men, officials said.
They added that the scouts opened fire on the pick-up, killing two men and injuring three others. One of the dead men was identified as Sherzada. The injured were taken to hospital.
Local people said tension gripped the area after the encounters and bazaars in the agency were closed.
A editorial comment discussed the political situation in Pakistan. WITH just five weeks to go to election, there are few signs of the opposition parties reaching a consensus on whether to take part in the polls or not. Ms Bhutto’s assertion that her party is open to the boycott option, provided the opposition agrees on a common goal, is but an argument in favour of contesting the polls. The two JUI chiefs of their respective factions have been more direct in dismissing the idea of the boycott, and so has been the ANP which does not wish to hand over the Frontier to the religious parties without a contest. It is also clear that while both the PPP and the JUI want an independent judiciary, neither is insisting on the reinstatement of the judges sacked under the Nov 3 PCO. This leaves the Jamaat-i-Islami, the PML-N, the Tehrik-i-Insaaf and a few others that make up the APDM as the only ones who will remain out of the fray if they insist on boycotting the polls. Nonetheless, what credibility, if any, the election will have in the event is the question begging for an answer. However, Ms Bhutto has hit the nail on the head by asking the APDM what goal the alliance wishes to achieve by boycotting the election. If the idea is to deny credibility to the process, the second question is: what next? The APDM is far from being clear on what lies beyond the boycott.
Looking at the composition of the current caretaker setup and of the election commission, the opposition is justified in casting doubts on the fairness of the polls. But the opposition will also have to share the blame for the current mess in view of its failure to forge a united stance vis-à-vis the dictatorship in Islamabad whose strength is, among others, based on the disunity of its adversaries. The way things stand at the moment, the key to resolving the issue lies with President Musharraf. Ms Bhutto has already accused the current administration of partiality. For the PML-N, the rejection of Shahbaz Sharif’s nomination papers by the election commission is ample proof of its bias against the party. The only way to set aside all such worries on the part of those willing to contest the election and convince the boycotters to join the fray is for the president to convene a multi-party meeting to iron out all such differences, and to make certain changes to avoid aspersions being cast on the election process.
After hanging up his military uniform President Musharraf, too, is showing signs of strain — perhaps understandably so. For instance, in a recent interview with an American TV network, he said that even after lifting the emergency, he would not ‘allow’ any agitation politics; then he hinted that if he did not ‘like’ what he saw, he might just step down. The first was assertion of power by someone in control of the situation, the second an admission that he is losing it. The point is: if he can rein in his authoritarian streak and show the inclination to sit down to talk, with an open mind, to those opposing him, he may still not have to step down. He can scotch agitation politics by allaying the opposition’s concerns. The time to do so is now.
The End
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