Life in Swat

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Farhat Taj's article titled "Life in Swat after the peace deal" (April 13) is an eye-opener regarding the factual situation in Swat. If the contents of the column are true then the accusations by some foreign countries of Pakistani officials (and agencies) being hand in glove with the Taliban (read terrorists) are not wrong.
It will help matters immensely if the Pakistan army and the NWFP government come up with well thought-out explanations, as the role and conduct of their senior officials have been put to question in the said article. Let me also compliment the writer for coming up with such a forthcoming piece at a time when the truth is hard to decipher from propaganda; and let me also compliment your newspaper for once again demonstrating its bold editorial policy by publishing such a forthright article. There is hope for all of us, even in these difficult times as long as the truth is not suppressed.

Shabbir Ahmad
Islamabad
*****

Farhat Taj's assertion in "Life in Swat after the peace deal" (April 13) that the closure of schools has actually helped the extremists recruit young people to their side should come as no surprise. This is what we get for being silent for almost two years while these monsters went about destroying schools. It can safely be said that no other 'educational policy' in our history has received as unanimous an approval as the 'silence over destruction of schools'.

Humayun Bashir
Riyadh