TALBAN--- ASSET OR ENEMY?

By Sikander H Shah
P O Box 4277 Sharjah UAE

The above article by Mr. Saleem Safi refers. In my opinion we have to think and plan far beyond weighing the above option. We have to think Pakistan for which vision and good leadership will be needed. We also have to bear in mind that we cannot bring new leadership in the next four years and whatever future we have to carve for ourselves has to be achieved with the current players. This can only be achieved in advisory capacity provided such people are given chance.

Before carving a future course for Pakistan let us first examine what Talibanization has done to Pakistan.

1. It has created a very high percentage of our youth in theocracy with a concept of barbaric Islam that is robotic. I recently read an article that said that future wars will be fought by robots and Pakistan’s name included amongst countries producing robots.
2. Talban concept of Islam has socially changed the life of rural Pakistan that will take a generation to reverse to current times.
3. Through these elements Pakistan has become an epic of international conspiracies and power game being played on her soil. Mr. Safi has very correctly pointed out the utility of Taliban with changing times.

From all the above it is certain that the very concept of Talban is not only destroying our but our sovereignty and social order. Would be wise to continue with them or would it be wise to move our people and country away from all the above.

The only course that lies to our survival is to spell a clear agenda of elimination that will include our army occupying inch of our land. This should not be done as an act of aggression but to clear the path to facilitate in converting all madaris into conventional schools, in building infra structure that will include community centers, roads, health care, education etc, in establishing local governments in all the tribal belt, holding elections and empowering the local governments with full autonomy. Taliban has to become history.

For achieving the above we have to raise 4/5 division additional force that will occupy the entire FATA region until all local government stand on their feet and all the good Taliban rehabilitated to join the main stream of populous. I had sent a detailed letter to the PM Gilani on the modus operandi before the APC was convened but it fell on deaf years. It is expected that a second APC will be convened soon for which I shall attach my earlier proposal once again for study and review.

Since Pakistan is the most affected party in the current war on terror, there is a great urgency for Pakistan to take the initiative with SARC and other regional powers like China and Iran with a proposal to establish an economic block of South West Asia that will extend to CIS countries. USA and all developed countries should be invited as investors in a conglomerate of 3.5 billion people. The focus should be to divert the present trend of war into economic peace and make it difficult to stay in this region. If we continue the current path the international intrigues and interests will further deepen with Taliban playing assets or enemy that will eventually devour Pakistan.

Mr. Ayaz Amir’s criticism of President Zardari’s statement (in today’s The New) that operations will extend to Waziristan is out of place as the only we have is to occupy every inch of our land. It will be serious mistake on part of the army to restrict their operation and victory to Swat and Bunair. Talibanization has to be eradicated not only in FATA but entire Pakistan. Without caring to intrigues, we have to take a path of consolidating our political setup and consolidating our institutions with reforms that will seek good governance and home grown economy. I have already an economic package to the government that is home grown. The money generated will be enough to undertake all the above major expense and spare us enough to under take development. The package will bring prosperity (with income of Rs 30,000) to millions of house holds and has a built in system to generate growth in all financial activities including industry, trade and agriculture in a manner that even China will not be able to compete. This scribe is desirous of becoming chairman NRB to form a national “Think Tank” of top brains that will service the federal government and local governments. There is no need to bring bureaucracy back into local governments as the think tanks at lower level will do the needful. All we need to do is to restructure the current local governments.