Pakistan paying price for wrongdoings

Has Pakistan bitten more than it could chew? Yes, when it comes to terrorism. This rogue country whose rulers have only looked after personal welfare and enriched themselves at the cost of the nation all along has been living under the notion that it can ride the tiger forever without harm coming in its way. Sowing seeds of terror to the detriment of its two immediate neighbours – Afghanistan and India – and its own people to silence criticism, Pakistan made merry all these decades. In turn, it has been accusing its neighbours of creating trouble in its own land.

Today, it stands on the threshold of an abysmal future. The terror groups it nurtured and raised all these years are slowly turning against it. The soil of Afghanistan is being used against Pakistan just as the latter did from its neighbouring countries. And Pakistan has no clue of it. It is in a hopeless situation as far as controlling it is concerned. Non-State actors have grown bigger than the Pakistan state itself and are challenging its combined might of the Army, ISI and the government. In fact, several of these actors are disenchanted with their own country. The Taliban rule in neighbouring Afghanistan is now setting the targets and goals for the terror modules of Pakistan, egging it towards a similar rule.

But, what is Pakistan doing to prevent complete Talibanisation of the country? Do the rulers even see the danger? A recent National Security Committee meeting only rieterated phrases like 'zero tolerance for terrorism' and 'violence will be dealt with, with the full force of the state'. A section of the Pakistani media and literate civil society has not taken kindly to it. "These are mere clichés in the absence of a comprehensive national security policy", they lashed out. A statement issued after the two recent marathon sessions of the NSC declared: "Pakistan's security is uncompromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of Pakistan's territory." It also stated that no country would be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists and that "Pakistan reserves all rights in that respect to safeguard her people." Trash. That is what it is.

Pakistan's security has been compromised long back. The country is now a satellite economy of Saudi Arabia and China. It is working to preserve their interests more than its own. The upsurge in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and all of Balochistan is indicative of the unrest. The first NSC meeting has taken place after the change of guard in the army took place in the midst of a wave of terrorism that has been sweeping across the strategically located northwestern and western parts of the country. It could only be said that there was a relative calm till sometime back in the region. Military operations over the years had silenced the people of the region into abject subjugation except for a section of the population. Loss of economic opportunities and livelihoods and the domination of Chinese over the economy and even in law and order have provoked the people to take to streets and to arms. The terror modules have also sensed the mood of the public and are exploiting the situation. Afghanistan has border issues with Pakistan. From the beginning it has been opposing the Durand Line. All these factors are bound to give many sleepless nights to the powers that be in the country.