Sweet talk – I
Sir,
For more than a month, the entire nation is watching with keen interest the so-called talks between the nominated teams of the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and the government.
The intelligentsia of the country was already quite skeptical about the outcome of these talks for a number of reasons. Firstly, the negotiators nominated by the TTP are not actual Taliban terrorists. Secondly, there are many groups of Taliban who have their own agendas and may not agree with the outcome of talks. Thirdly, the TTP does not represent any state. They are just a bunch of thugs. Fourthly, their pre-conditions are not acceptable to Pakistan, and our pre-condition – to hold the talks within the framework of the constitution of Pakistan – is not acceptable to them. Fifthly, they themselves do not follow the Sharia that they want us to enforce in the country.
The other important point of concern is that we have already accepted our defeat by inviting them for peace talks. This has put them at an advantageous position, to dictate their terms or perhaps to gain time to regroup. Although the peace talks had started, they did not stop their brutal activities like bomb blasts and suicide attacks. This shows that they are not serious about peace in the country.
The intelligentsia strongly feels that they should be dealt with sternly, and not by holding talks – a language that they would never understand. It is a futile effort and will only benefit the Taliban.
Pakistan should go for surgical operations against them through effective intelligence. Their supply routes should be blocked with help from the Afghan government. These handful of miscreants should be cordoned and sorted out in the language they understand.
We should not be complacent anymore and should be ruthless in dealing with them. The people of Pakistan cannot carry any more coffins.
Azhar Khwaja,
Lahore.
Sweet talk – II
Sir,
Twenty three soldiers of FC were captured in 2010 by terrorists affiliated with the TTP, taken to Afghanistan, and then brutally murdered by these savages in a foreign country under control of our so-called good Taliban.
Now that the Taliban have publicly announced the killing of our captive soldiers, it is obligatory for us to punish these killers. The so-called good Taliban who control large parts of Afghanistan should capture these killers or else it should be assumed that they support these savages.
As for the TTP apologists in Pakistan, they need to make a choice – choose this country and respect its constitution and laws, or join the rebels. The same way, the citizens of Pakistan who were misled and are willing to lay down arms must be rehabilitated and put through a debriefing program.
Aneela Chandio,
Sukkur.
Bone of contention
Sir,
Even after more than six decades since the creation of Pakistan, Kashmir continues to be a bone of contention between India and Pakistan. The entire world, including the UN and India, recognize the fact that Kashmir is a disputed territory. The fact of the matter is that not only the improvement in bilateral relations between India and Pakistan but also political and economic stability in the region greatly depends on the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
A plebiscite is the only and perhaps the best way to resolve this long-pending problem. Pakistan has been urging India, the United Nations and the world powers to bring an end to this grave problem – a problem that has played and continues to play a damaging role in the deteriorating India-Pakistan bilateral relations, and causing instability in the region. All appeals made to India by Pakistan, the UN and the developed societies of the world seem to have fallen on deaf ears. India has not budged even an inch from its rigid stance.
On the occasion of the Kashmir Solidarity Day commemorated in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world, a spokesman for the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said, “On Kashmir, our good offices are available if both sides were to request that. And that remains the case today.”
Pakistan sincerely desires to see lasting peace in the region. In 1998 too, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif took initiatives to resolve the issue of Kashmir through bilateral negotiations. He is, once again, making sincere efforts to bring India to the negotiations table. “We are ready to discuss and resolve all outstanding issues with India, including the Kashmir dispute,” he had very clearly stated while addressing the joint session of Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Kashmir Council on Kashmir Day.
The establishment of peace in the region and improvement in bilateral relations between India and Pakistan largely depends on the peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute.
M Fazal Elahi,
Islamabad.
Corruption Inc
Sir,
Corruption thrives in this country because it is beneficial to the powerful land mafia, boosts and protects criminal economy, aids tax evasion, and helps the powerful elite to transfer their money abroad without any check.
Terrorism thrives in this country because of corruption and the fact that it involves billions in revenues generated through extortion, kidnapping for ransom, smuggling of weapons and target killings. As long as corruption remains rampant in law enforcement, customs, border security and intelligence agencies, the curse and greed for more will bring disaster for Pakistan. A cursory look at lifestyle of retired police officers, district management group, FBR, customs and lower judiciary members will reveal the dividends reaped by this powerful nexus.
The people of Pakistan voted for a change in 2013 elections, but instead what we see is a continuity of nurturing, protecting and cultivating corruption, plundering state assets as if they were spoils of war so that powerful individuals stand to benefit.
A “reconciliation” between mainstream political parties and powerful people in the establishment is quite visible.
Shahzad Khalil,
Sialkot.
Air unfair
Sir,
According to press reports, Bhoja Airlines has sold its two remaining aircraft, without paying compensation to the families of over 120 passengers who died when one of its planes crashed, and without paying its dues to the Civil Aviation Authority.
This exposes the corruption-ridden CAA, a regulatory body funded by public taxes to ensure that airline operators given permission to commence commercial operations fulfill all legal obligations in case of accidents and fatal crashes.
The unfortunate reality is that the CAA has become dumping ground for the welfare of retired uniformed officers of armed forces, or politically connected corrupt bureaucrats.
The Bhoja fleet was registered in Pakistan and these aircraft could not have been flown out without the connivance of the regulatory authority and then sold in open market.
Abid Aleem,
Lahore.
Once a thief
Sir,
A relative of mine owns a shop in Cosmos Plaza in Block 16 of the FB area in Karachi. There are 10 to 15 shops in the plaza that face the Shahrah-e-Pakistan road. After every eight or ten months, there is a theft in these shops late at night, and car batteries are stolen.
The shop owners are very worried because of these incidents. My relative’s shop has been robbed six times, but the police has never recovered anything nor caught any suspect.
The shop owners have now begun to think, like many other residents of Karachi, that the police cannot do anything at all to protect them.
I request the Singh Police, especially the stationhouse officer in the Feberal B area, toremain active and vigilant.
Mubashir Mahmood,
Karachi.
1,000 miles, 1,000 years
Sir,
After the success of the Sindh Festival, Pakistan should consider an annual festival to celebrate the culture of the Indus Valley civilization.
It will educate the people of Pakistan and the rest of the world about our rich national heritage as one of the earliest four civilizations of the world.
In the book 5000 Years of Pakistan, Malcom Wheeler observes that there is an “astonishing sameness of that civilization, both from place to place with its 1,000-mile stretch, and from age to age with its 1,000-year span.” His opinion about centers of this civilization in the upper and lower parts of the valley at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro was that these were “outstanding cities”.
Taraq Jazy,
Lahore.
Part-time Pakistanis
Sir,
Pakistan’s economy is suffering because of a massive flight of capital patronized by a powerful lobby within the establishment dominated by dual nationals who do business in Pakistan and occupy important public offices and then transfer their ill-gotten wealth out of this country.
The fact is that 99% of our expatriates, denied equal opportunities, were forced to seek livelihood in other countries, and it is they who are sending back almost $16 billion annually through legal and irregular sources. But a huge chunk for foreign exchange is being funneled back out of this country by less than one percent of them. These part-time Pakistanis seek lucrative contracts in Pakistan, and are considered favorites for key appointments to head important state financial institutions, regulatory bodies and corporations. All this is facilitated by powerful nexus of corrupt civil and uniformed bureaucracy and political opportunists, who reside in this country as long as they hold office, and depart immediately after retirement, or after they are out of power, to evade accountability. They acquire foreign nationalities and other immigration status while holding public offices in Pakistan or during their foreign postings.
It is they who are involved in land scams, human smuggling and white collar crimes. As long as this nexus of evil exists, Pakistan will continue to bleed economically. It will not attain technological self-sufficiency, and will not become self-reliant.
Aneela Chandio,
Sukkur.
Common people
Sir,
The Aam Admi Party of India has succeeded in bringing the focus of politics on corruption. Corruption is more rampant and institutionalized in Pakistan as compared to India, yet it is not even on the radar of our political parties or parliament.
The corruption-infested Federal Board of Revenue has contributed more in facilitation of tax evasion than its collection. What is unfortunate is the acceptance of corruption, bribery and abuse of powers by those holding paid or elected public office. Just look at the attitude of this government, which states on one hand that this country has a shortage of natural gas, but allows new connections on a payment of Rs 25,000, denying it only to the poor.
CNG stations continue to be involved in massive gas theft, and are not being shut down because most of them are owned by family members of civil or uniformed bureaucracy and the political elite. State corporations are being run by politically appointed incompetent men, or being handed over to people with questionable credentials and conflicts of interest.
Pakistan will never be able to contain terrorism, check the flight of capital, or stop the bleeding of the economy, until the cancer of corruption is not managed.
Ali Malik,
Lahore.
We are responsible
Sir,
For a country whose founding fathers were men of character, determination and commitment, to end up with leaders who misrule and abuse this country is tragic and unfortunate.
Our indecisive leaders are not realizing that negotiations with savages, who take sadistic pleasure in slitting the throats of captives, will lead this country nowhere but to anarchy and chaos.
We alone are responsible for allowing foreigners to enter this country, get sanctuary, and raise armed private militias, challenging the writ of state and threatening to claim control of our land. We are responsible for allowing militants from the so called Jundullah group to cross the international border into Iran and kidnap their uniformed guards. These are the people who have been murdering hundreds of Hazara Shias. Even in Karachi, the state has allowed private militias to be raised by political groups, involved in kidnapping, extortion and a booming criminal economy.
Our political leaders and armed and civil bureaucracy must understand that there is no other option but to eradicate these private militias, ensure the writ of constitutional law, and be seen giving priority to welfare of the large majority of deprived Pakistani citizens by focusing on education, health and delivering justice, collecting direct taxes and shunning away this elitist culture of serving vested interests.
Negotiations can only take place with those who submit to the constitution and give up arms, not with those who kill innocent people and then justify such barbarities in the name of religion.
Tariq Ali,
Lahore.