11-05-2007, 12:32 PM
Some sixty years have passed since the creation of Pakistan. There is no point now to continue a debate on the pros and cons of the division of India. We may better come to the present and perhaps discuss what is in store for the people of Pakistan in the coming few years. In fact, it is technically a domestic matter of Pakistan and may not have been discussed by us outsiders. Since the future of Pakistan has its ramifications not only on the entire South Asian region but also on the entire world, we may perhaps discuss the situation and analyze the same.
We all know that for one reason or other democracy has not been able to take its roots in Pakistan in a decisive manner. However, over the years while Pakistan has been switching over from one military ruler to the other with democratic intervals, the world has moved on and the geopolitical situation has undergone massive changes. USSR has vanished and USA has been attacked on its own territory by Islamic terrorists.
Till 9/11 Pakistanâs rulers have been able to play the India card with the active support of the West. In fact, they encouraged low intensity war against India by instigating cross border terrorism and the West did not take the matter seriously as bleeding India was no concern of theirs. However, after the 9/11 attack the whole situation has got changed and the West has now all the sympathy and good words for India and its sufferings in the hands of these terrorists. All the governments in the West are now pretending that they see the threat from terrorism in the same manner in which we in India see it. They are now out to cultivate India and to give continuous good advice to Pakistan and pressurize it to finish off the terrorists who have been operating from within Pakistan all these years.
You will agree that the Jihads elements present in Pakistan cannot be removed overnight nor can their bases be destroyed on the press of a button. The West through the present Government of Pakistan has been engaged in this operation for the last few years. However, the terrorists are so deep-rooted within the Pakistani society and administrative machinery that it is next to impossible to produce any tangible result in s short time. The present struggle we see within Pakistan is a result of this situation.
While the present Government is carrying out a war against terrorists, mostly at the bidding of the USA, the administrative and military apparatus is not cooperating to the extent that the mission becomes a success. The recent incidents of Pakistan troops surrendering to the rebels or refusing to fire upon them is a matter of deep concern for any government so that matter. In such circumstances, the only way to retrieve the situation is by taking strong measures first to discipline the administrative and military machinery and that needs to be followed by the cleaning up of the society of all subversive elements .In the given situation democracy cannot be of much use as it will be an impediment against enforcing hard measures.
We all know that for one reason or other democracy has not been able to take its roots in Pakistan in a decisive manner. However, over the years while Pakistan has been switching over from one military ruler to the other with democratic intervals, the world has moved on and the geopolitical situation has undergone massive changes. USSR has vanished and USA has been attacked on its own territory by Islamic terrorists.
Till 9/11 Pakistanâs rulers have been able to play the India card with the active support of the West. In fact, they encouraged low intensity war against India by instigating cross border terrorism and the West did not take the matter seriously as bleeding India was no concern of theirs. However, after the 9/11 attack the whole situation has got changed and the West has now all the sympathy and good words for India and its sufferings in the hands of these terrorists. All the governments in the West are now pretending that they see the threat from terrorism in the same manner in which we in India see it. They are now out to cultivate India and to give continuous good advice to Pakistan and pressurize it to finish off the terrorists who have been operating from within Pakistan all these years.
You will agree that the Jihads elements present in Pakistan cannot be removed overnight nor can their bases be destroyed on the press of a button. The West through the present Government of Pakistan has been engaged in this operation for the last few years. However, the terrorists are so deep-rooted within the Pakistani society and administrative machinery that it is next to impossible to produce any tangible result in s short time. The present struggle we see within Pakistan is a result of this situation.
While the present Government is carrying out a war against terrorists, mostly at the bidding of the USA, the administrative and military apparatus is not cooperating to the extent that the mission becomes a success. The recent incidents of Pakistan troops surrendering to the rebels or refusing to fire upon them is a matter of deep concern for any government so that matter. In such circumstances, the only way to retrieve the situation is by taking strong measures first to discipline the administrative and military machinery and that needs to be followed by the cleaning up of the society of all subversive elements .In the given situation democracy cannot be of much use as it will be an impediment against enforcing hard measures.