We must go for talks ,? Ansar Abbassi

We are on a suicide mission. At a time when our sovereignty is seriously threatened and is being violated and our foreign policy being entirely run on alien diktat, Pakistanis are being made the scapegoats on a daily basis as their lives serve as fodder for the US war on terror, imposed on us on Washington’s terms.

Initially it was General Musharraf, who after 9/11 served as Washington’s poodle and badly divided the nation. And now it is the democratically elected but NRO-laundered regime that has owned the US war as its own war.

When last year, the only time the issue was ever referred to parliament in nine years, the people’s representatives unanimously disowned this war and without even a single dissenting voice passed a resolution demanding a homegrown solution to extremism and terrorism through a dialogue. But who cares what the people say.

The US dictation comes at a time when national cohesion is fast eroding, state institutions are indifferent and unresponsive, people’s voice is not being heard and national leadership is highly irresponsible and corrupt. Consequently with every passing day there are growing incidents of terrorism, more bloodshed and increased human misery and cry.

And after every terrorist act, the hollowed rhetoric of our shallow leaders that the people of Pakistan would win this war is repeated. However, there is no strategy, no political initiative and no urge to find and address the root cause of this menace. Everything has been left to the army to achieve. All the bets are on the military option and there is no room for any political solution. There is a call for an “all out war”.

Instead of adopting a rational approach to stop further killing of the innocents, we are responding in the rush of blood, which could cause more bloodshed and more killings. We are not trying to figure out where the problem lies and more importantly the real problem. We are not diagnosing the disease but trying to treat the symptoms.

Initially it was Nek Muhammad, later Abdullah Mahsud, then Baitullah Mahsud and Fazullah and now Hakeemullah Mahsud. Musharraf thought, and the present rulers also believe, that killing such symbols would solve the problem but it has not worked. We are made to believe that once the Pakistan Army conquers South Waziristan and cleanses it from extremists and terrorists, the problem would be over. The same was said about Swat and Malakand.

Where would be the next battleground? Apprehensions are already rising in south Punjab. Past record proves that the extremists and terrorists killed or nabbed do not belong to the tribal areas alone but come from all over and could not be identified. In such a situation, can we afford to launch military solution everywhere. Is it possible either? Can the army afford to leave Swat and Malakand, South Waziristan and other parts of the tribal areas? Aren’t we marching on an extremely dangerous track that may lead us to a complete civil war?

Practically this is a game of death where only the blood of Pakistanis, predominantly innocent citizens is being shed. We may not feel for them as if they are not our own family (i.e. Pakistan) but those including children and women who are mercilessly killed by US drone attacks in our tribal areas are our own people even if everyone of them is condemned unheard and dubbed a terrorist or a militant.

This is also true that those so dubbed and attacked, whether in Swat and Malakand or Waziristan are too our own people. These innocents who become victims of suicide bombings and terrorist attacks all over are also from amongst us. So are the young brainwashed teenager suicide bombers who lose their lives.

For our enemy this is a win-win situation and possibly a source of pleasure but for every Pakistani it is the most serious cause of concern. We don’t want this game of death to go on and on but others do. We don’t want our people to be killed but others do. We don’t want our army to be dragged in a situation where it is compelled to use its muscle against its own people and get unpopular but others do. We don’t desire to see brothers killing brothers here but others do.

But what we want and desire cannot be achieved if we follow the foreign dictat. It can’t be achieved through military options either. It can be effectively achieved only through a process of dialogue, rethinking of our strategy, pondering into the whole situation to address the root causes, the US war on terror, drone attacks, enslavement of Islamabad to the whims and wishes of Washington and US and Nato forces presence in Afghanistan. A political initiative in line with the unanimous resolution adopted by the parliament last year is thus a vital and urgent need. Terrorism is condemnable but it cannot be defeated only through the use of force, which is counter productive.

This is precisely what is happening in Pakistan. Washington would not like this but we need to focus on political means instead of entirely depending on the military option, which should remain restricted and quick. The US war on terror is neither in the interest of Muslims nor in favour of Pakistan. Therefore, the US war, now owned by our rulers and fought in the fashion the US expects us to fight, is not our war and it will never be.

A New Prize For Obedience..

Both chambers of the US Congress have quietly approved a bill that seeks tough new restrictions on military aid to Pakistan, aides told Dawn on Wednesday. The bill comes up for final approval later this week.

Democratic Senator Robert Menendez and Republican Senator Bob Corker jointly crafted the new restrictions.

‘The Senate approved the bill on July 24 while the House of Representatives passed it earlier this month,’ an aide for Senator Corker told Dawn.

In the US legislative system, the House and the Senate work separately, which requires both chambers to craft their own versions of a proposed bill. After separate votes, the two versions are reconciled in a joint session, which is called the conference.

The proposed amendment to the National Defence Authorisation Act comes to conference later this week. If approved, as expected, it would become a law.

An earlier joint statement by the offices of the two senators said that they had successfully attached an amendment to the Department of Defence authorisation bill that passed the Senate ‘in order to help ensure that military assistance for Pakistan is actually being used for its purpose: to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda’.

The Menendez-Corker legislative language would mandate a certification by the US Secretary of State and Secretary of Defence, before Pakistan is reimbursed with Coalition Support Funds, that the payment is both in the national security interests of the US, and will not affect the balance of power in the region.

‘To this point, almost eight years and more than seven billion in American taxpayer dollars for Pakistan’s military have not prevented the Taliban and Al Qaeda from regrouping along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border,’ said Senator Menendez.

‘The fight against these extremists is crucial for our own security, which is why we have to certify that our support is in fact doing what we intend it to do and is not being used for other purposes.’

Mr Menendez insisted that this was an issue of national security and of responsibility with taxpayer dollars and that’s why he was seeking to further tighten the restrictions on Pakistan.

Senator Corker said that the US appreciated the important role Pakistan had played in America’s fight to eliminate the terrorist safe havens within their borders, ‘we also owe it to our service members and the American taxpayer to ensure that the funds provided to Pakistan out of the Coalition Support Funds are in fact being directed towards those efforts and not misdirected’.

The fresh limits include efforts to track where US military hardware sent to Pakistan ends up, as well as a warning that US aid to Pakistan must not upset ‘the balance of power in the region’ —a reference to tensions with India.

The limits are in a $680 billion US Defence Department spending measure for 2010 that the Senate will take up after the bill cleared the House of Representatives in a 281-146 vote on Oct 8.

If, as expected, the Senate approves the legislation, it will go to President Barack Obama to sign into law who earlier this month signed the Kerry-Lugar bill into a law.

Although the Kerry-Lugar bill tripled US economic assistance to Pakistan, it also placed some restrictions on the military aid.

Abi Na Rukna

Sun set in Karak

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We are Peaceful and Peace lovers Khattaks

We are peaceful and peace lovers khattaks in Khattakistan. We always depend upon on peace and avoid violence. We are educated,hard working,dedicated and patriotic Pakistanis.We disliked those who are misguided and anti Pakistan elements.
NO BODY CAN DENIED THIS THAT WE ALL ARE NOT ONLY EDUCATED BUT PEACE LOVING AND PEACEFUL PEOPLES OF THE PAKISTAN.KARAK IS HEAVEN IN THIS TROUBLE FULL TIME.WE ARE GOOD MUSLIMS,BEST PASHTOONS AND PATRIOTICS PAKISTANI.WE KNOW HOW TO ACT AND REACT.WE ARE MASTERS OF OURSELVES AND WE DON’T ACCEPT MASTERMINDING OF OTHERS. ALLAH MAY GUIDE US TO BE HELPING HANDS HUMANITY. Let us respect our elders guidance and love our values and honor our virtues. The value of Live and let others live.

It is shame

woreds are not enough to condemn the barberic and horrific incident that has takent place in Gojra.The innocent women and childern are burnt alive safeguard islam.but the cruel dnt know abt islam.We muslim community are ashamed for this very barbarism and condemn it.To us Islam is the religion of peace and love.

New dawn....A dawn of happiness and Light

The Supreme Court of Pakistan Friday declared the steps taken on November 3, 2007 by former president Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional.

The judgment came after the 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry completed the hearing of constitutional petitions regarding PCO judges, appointments of judges of higher judiciary and November 3, 2007 steps.

The Supreme Court in its short verdict declared the steps of November 3, 2007 taken by former president Pervez Musharraf as unconstitutional. Article 279 of the Constitution was violated on November 3, 2007, it said.

It termed as illegal and unconstitutional the sacking of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and the other higher judiciary as well as the appointment of Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar as chief justice.

The oath taken by President Asif Ali Zardari will not be affected by the SC verdict, is said.

All the appointments made in the higher judiciary of Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar have been termed illegal.

It termed as unconstitutional all the appointments of judges during November 3, 2007 to March 24, 2008.

It said the strength of Supreme Court judges will remain 17.

It declared unconstitutional all the steps taken by Pervez Musharraf during November 3, 2007 to December 15, 2007 including the increasing of number of superior judges through finance bill.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry announced the verdict.

The verdict said all the appointments of judges on and after November 3, 2007 under PCO were unconstitutional. The case of PCO judges will be referred to the Supreme Judicial Council, it said.

The announcement of today’s verdict sent a wave of jubilation outside the Supreme Court and at all the bar associations. Sweets are being distributed as people and lawyers are chanting slogans in support of the judiciary.

The 14-judge larger bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry reserved the judgment after completing the hearing of the case and announced it after a delay of over four and a half hour.