02-05-2007, 01:54 AM
[center] <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo--> <b><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>Failed state</span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo--> [/center]
The recent spate of suicide bombings in various city centres, including the much protected federal capital Islamabad, only confirms that Pakistan is on the verge of becoming a failed state. If one takes into account the war-like situation in Balochistan and the military action in South and North Waziristan, it amounts to a crisis of governance not unlike the war-torn Afghanistan and Iraq.
The country's rulers, meanwhile, are on foreign tours either to solve the Palestinian problem or to attract foreign investment or to enhance trade opportunities -- as if all is well in their own country and as if Pakistan is an attractive place for the foreign capital.
However the media -- both electronic and print -- tells a different story. After the suicide bomb attacks around Ashura, forty districts were put on red alert. Police commandos in full battle dress and army troops arranged flag-marches in various cities. Earlier, some religious elements from Islamabad, the seat of the federal government, challenged the writ of the government openly on the issue of demolition of mosques and seminaries built on encroached lands. The newspapers published large pictures of women armed with lathis protesting against the government's decisions.
2007 has been declared as 'The Visit Pakistan Year' by the government. But who would dare come to a country where even the five-star hotels are not safe from terrorist attacks. Even the supreme power of the world frequently charges its most important ally for being a safe haven for terrorists and claims that the government of Pakistan was not doing enough to root out terrorists. Afghan ruler Karzai's bitter charges against Musharraf administration are only a repetition of NATO and US policy. <b><span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>They even violate the country's border in total disregard of Pakistan's sovereignty and attack local check posts also.</span></b> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The law and order breakdown, uncontrollable surge in corruption, unstoppable violence by the religious might, political opportunism, anti-people policies of the rulers and above all military takeover of political power are all a legacy of Bhutto's Frankenstein, Ziaul Haq. He left an imprint so deep on society that hasn't dimmed even eighteen years after his death. The most painful of his legacies is the presence of millions of Afghan immigrants with jihadi orientation, all contrived by US strategists to achieve their Cold War policy objectives.
General Ziaul Haq had mastered the art of public relationing to its best. After capturing power through a military coup, he used to describe himself a reluctant ruler -- an assertion directed at providing his ruthless acts a benign cover. He knew the US would need Pakistan's help in the containment of Soviet Union and that would result in legitimising his unconstitutional and immoral rule. The US strategists who had long ago decided that Muslims could be their natural allies against the Godless ideology of communism, accepted Zia's offer and decided to wage a holy war against the government of the communist infidels in Afghanistan. The rest is all history.
The Mujahideen and al-Qaeda warriors trained and armed by Pakistan and the US kept their interest alive in the Jihad movement. Since the warriors had been trained in Pakistan and Pakistani soil was used till the ultimate of all Jihadi actions, September eleven, took place, Pakistan has remained in the picture prominently. After the non-communist or Islamist Afghanistan was attacked vigorously by the US with the cooperation of the fourth military ruler of Pakistan, the Jihadis had no other option but to turn to their old safe haven to survive against the wrath of the US military might. Pakistan had to act to destroy its own creation. But this time they were asked to deal with the Jihadis alone.
Earlier, US money, strategic help and other resources of the Western world were available to them. Pakistan is the third most affected nation of the surge of religious fanaticism -- for which both US and military junta of Ziaul Haq are equally responsible. After Afghanistan and Iraq, two countries invaded and occupied by US forces, Pakistan has suffered the maximum damage. Not only has Pakistan's image as a civilised society been marred by scores of terrorist attacks, the silent majority of the country has become a hostage to obscurantists.
Gen. Musharraf's rhetoric about enlightenment and moderation alone are not enough to change the social system that has been adversely affected since Ziaul Haq decided to re-Islamise the society of Pakistan. Unless the developed world provides moral and material help with the same enthusiasm they had shown 25 years ago when they had decided to create holy warriors to serve their political interest, the world will not be safe from the frequent actions of obscurantists. The hate campaigns and discrimination against Muslims by the Western mass media and condemnation by the leaders will not help their cause either.
As for the Pakistani society, the problems it faces cannot be solved by rulers' rhetoric. Participation of people to bring about a positive change in the social and cultural system is necessary and that can be done through political parties and other democratic institutions. So far, no significant political organisation has declared it wants to have this important issue on its agenda.
Cheers <!--emo&:beer--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cheers.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='cheers.gif' /><!--endemo-->