Daily Times

Thousands of people have gathered under the leadership of Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri in Islamabad to ‘save’ us from the allegedly corrupt PML-N government. Dr Qadri wants to bring a made-in-Pakistan revolution, while Imran wants fresh elections under a new election commission. For the last over a month since the Model Town incident on June 17, the country and its political leaders have forgotten Zarb-e-Azb. They have forgotten that the country is at war. And if we think that terrorism in Pakistan will end with the North Waziristan operation, we better give it another thought. It is one thing to clear an area occupied by the terrorists, it is entirely another to prevent them from re-emerging. Clearly, the political solution to terrorism has been absent right from the day it stamped its ugly print on this soil. Till recently, the civil administration, its security forces and intelligence apparatus have been reeling from the attacks of an enemy that is professional, well equipped, and united. This was the time for the government to develop counterterrorism strategies, and make plans for developing the tribal areas both from the point of view of infrastructure and community rehabilitation. The internally displaced persons needed the attention and counselling of the government and society at large for future reference to develop and maintain peace once the war is over. Having forgotten them means we care little for what they are going through now and in the past when the Taliban and its affiliated organizations had made them hostage to their evil designs. Already the question of political ownership of the war has been making the rounds and the differences between the army and the government over negotiations versus a military operation were portrayed as a breaking point in their relationship. In such circumstances, a political maelstrom based on irrational and unacceptable demands sounds irresponsible and immature. We have an existential threat to the state, which is far from over. The Taliban, have we forgotten, threatened to take over the state through their persistent attacks on the military and civilian personnel and installations. Did they leave anyone, men, women, children, the elderly, out of the havoc of their wrath? Everyone has tasted their malice. Thousands have died. And double that number has been maimed. And here we are squabbling about spurious charges of electoral rigging.

The attacks on the twin air airbases in Quetta and in Bajaur on a school van killing six people, including three women and two children, show that while the terrorists are focused on their mission to destabilise Pakistan, we are still confused over the real threat facing the nation, thanks to Imran and Qadri. *