Swat, Buner – what next?

Friday, April 24, 2009

Recently, a female MNA of the ANP came on TV and defended the Nizam-e-Adl regulation in Swat. In doing so, she made a promise that her party would work for the protection of women's rights, especially in Swat, and that female members of the ANP would soon visit the area for this purpose. My question to the MNA is that how does she expect to go to Taliban-controlled Swat without a mehram male relative because if she goes otherwise she risks being flogged in public -- like that 17-year-old girl was -- complete with a crowd of pious onlookers.
Also, the MNA should know that her education makes her a virtual untouchable in today's Swat -- that she won't be allowed to meet anyone because the Taliban may think that she will pollute the local women. Also, if the ANP delegation includes any women who are working, they better think twice before visiting Swat because in their worldview a woman who works is immoral, and we all know what they do to such women -- they behead them, or like Shabana, they shoot them.
If any of the above should happen, the TTP will refute it completely, while Ansar Abassi will advise us to look the other way and pretend that it didn't happen -- of course, for the sake of peace. Also, they say charity begins at home and since the ANP MNA feels that this regulation is the best thing for us Swati women, starting now, she should tear up her CNIC, renounce her right to vote, refuse medical attention for her daughters, sisters and herself, reject polio drops for the children of her family and sequester herself at home for the rest of her life.

Noor Khan
Islamabad

*****

It saddens me when people call the Taliban 'beasts'. If they are beasts or worse than beasts, then why did our army not get rid of them? If they are criminals, why did the ANP government sign an accord with them? If they are really renegades, then why did the National Assembly endorse the Nizam-e-Adl regulation?

Najeebullah
Swat

*****

Against a backdrop of bombs, dismembered limbs, shrapnel and weeping families, the leadership of Pakistan is silent. The corridors of power in Pakistan are deserted and abandoned. The people of Pakistan have been left to fend for themselves, protect their lives against the barbarism of the Taliban who are hell-bent on expanding their scope of power and imposing their perverted view of Sharia, or Muslim law, across the nation.
The Nizam-e-Adl regulation that was passed unanimously with the able assistance of the PPP, the PML-N, the PML-Q, the Jamaat-e-Islami and the ANP has failed to deliver any justice or respite to the people of Swat. Why, or rather how, could our leaders believe that the passage of this Nizam-e-Adl would stop the Taliban in their tracks? Did they really believe that its passage would cause the Taliban to disarm? What fool's paradise are they living in? The people of Pakistan demand an explanation for why they are not being protected against these marauders, these terrorists. But no one is talking… where does it all end? Who will end it? Who is responsible for ending it? Where are the Pakistani leaders? More importantly, who is leading Pakistan?
Even as the Taliban were establishing their authority in Buner, both the president and the prime minister were proclaiming that the Nizam-e-Adl would be restricted to the Swat Valley and the Taliban would not be allowed to move beyond this region. The twice deposed former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, finally broke his vow of silence and condemned the Taliban's takeover of Buner after sitting silently all this time. Why couldn't, or rather why didn't, he speak up earlier and urge action? Why did Sharif allow his supporters in the National Assembly to support the so-called 'peace agreement'?
Where are those protectors, those "mard-e-momin" who were so eloquently leading the charge to restore justice for all citizens of Pakistan? Where is the justice in all this violence? Of what use is the judiciary if there is no one to enforce the laws.
As a citizen of Pakistan, I and others demand to know why the leaders who were elected to safeguard our interests are sitting quietly. Why is the military not taking action against these terrorists? In the past, the military has been brought in to quash the first sign of unrest among the citizenry. But now the military also sits and waits… silently… for whom we do not know.
Newspapers in America and the UK have accused the people of Pakistan of being in denial about the threat posed by the Taliban. They are dead wrong. The people of Pakistan are living through this ordeal. They want an end to it and they are grasping at any straw of hope that they can get.

Amena Saiyid
New York

*****

Every time a corps commanders' or formation commanders' conference is held, the ISPR issues a press release which tells us of the 'readiness' of the military leadership to fight all challenges to the country. May I ask what is the military doing right now? Why is it allowing the Taliban to advance and bring more and more areas of the country under their influence? Under what law or provision of the constitution is this being allowed to happen in Buner for instance?
How can the world's sixth largest army not defeat a few thousand armed men? By the look of things, it seems that Pakistan is a ship just about to sink any time, but we are still being told that the military is 'ready to meet any challenge'. Please stop playing such cruel jokes on us -- kindly wake up and save your own country before these monsters devour everything.

A M
Islamabad

*****

Has anyone in the government pondered over the consequences of handing over of Kohistan district to the Taliban in the name of Nizam-e-Adl? Have the great politicians and generals of this country given a thought to the fact that Karakoram Highway is the only highway that connects the strategic Northern Areas to the rest of the country perennially? And this strategically important highway passes through a greater part of Kohistan region, a region that will soon turn into a Taliban territory?
Have the great minds of this government mulled over the future of trade and commerce between China and Pakistan, that is mostly conducted through the Karakoram Highway, especially now when the Chinese are already working on the expansion of the Karakoram Highway to facilitate the movement of goods between the port of Gwadar and China? And that these trucks laden with goods will have to pass through, the soon to be infested with militants, Kohistan territory? And have the rocket scientists of this government conveniently forgotten about Bhasha dam that is soon going to be constructed, and is right round the corner from the district of Kohistan? Is this parliament seriously thinking?

Wajahat Malik
Islamabad

*****

Pakistan is a conglomerate of many martial races: chivalry and gallantry is an inherent trait of its people. The nation has acknowledged the services of its gallant citizens by awarding them Nishan-e-Haider, Nishan-e-Shujaat, Tamgha-e-Shujaat and Tamgha-e-Jurat, to name some of the national awards. To be fair to those who display supreme form of cowardice especially while discharging duties in the service of the nation, their demeanour must be applauded and acknowledged by conferring upon them a "Cowardice Award". These awardees should also be entitled to a multi-coloured set of bangles which they could wear on national days.
To start with, the most deserving awardees are the members of the National Assembly who were present in the premises when the Speaker tabled the bill, Nizam-i-Adl in Swat, for discussion and processing. Just before the gathering of the assembly members in Islamabad a spokesman of the Swat Taliban, who had authored the regulation, had announced a warning that any assembly member opposing the bill could face death. Thus the members, including most vocal ladies, under the death threat, did not utter a word for or against the bill. Nonetheless, there were a few exceptions that missed the Cowardice Award and the multi-coloured bangles. These were the lone member from Chakwal, Ayaz Mir, and the legislators representing the MQM.
The government can notify the names of the awardees immediately to satisfy the eager 16 crore electorates: the Cowardice Award can be conferred on them later on the Independence Day, August 14, 2009.

Ms Hussan Parri
Matta, Swat

*****
This is in response to a news report in your paper titled "11 children die in Kurram for lack of medicines" (April 21). I think our leadership should be ashamed of this, as they should be of ceding Swat to the Taliban. I say this because they know it is bad for Swat and for the whole country but for the sake of so-called peace -- which means to keep their own seats -- they, and the military, have allowed the Taliban control of a major district of the country. Alas they have forgotten about the misery of the public. Why cannot the government and the military do anything to open the roads leading to Parachinar?

Mohamad Khan
Peshawar

*****
I find it very strange that the PML-N endorsed the peace deal with the Taliban, because just recently it led a historic long march which restored the judiciary -- the same judiciary which has now been declared haram by the Taliban. I just hope that the political parties are taking this matter seriously because these decisions might decide the fate of our nation.

Yasir Amanat
Islamabad

*****

As a taxpayer whose taxes go to finance our military, I would like the army chief to please tell us citizens why the armed forces are not taking on the Taliban? Surely, the threat to the country is not -- for the time being at least -- coming from India but from the Taliban and their spreading tentacles. I would also like to say that if the army chooses not to fight these monsters then they should kindly give us the weapons (which are financed by our taxes, mind you) and we will fight them ourselves.

Fahd Hassan
Karachi