Daily Times

Sir: After a bitter civil war, where private militias raised by warring states clashed and fought a bloody conflict, the US adopted a constitution ban on all private militias. This same principle has been adopted by every country. Any country that allows private militias to be raised, with an agenda to fight any war, or as vigilante groups, has always ended up seeing these militias turning against their mentors whenever there is a conflict of interest.
Pakistan today faces the biggest threat from within, by militias allowed to be formed and housed within its territory, trained to wage war in a neighbouring country and financed by a superpower eager to avenge its defeat in Vietnam. After the US had achieved its objective, these young men were left stranded, without any financial security or plans for relocation. Gen Zia promoted sectarian, ethnic and regional nationalist groups to be formed in order to prevent a federal unified political opposition to challenge his illegitimate rule. And now until the Pakistani state cracks down on all private militias, terrorism can neither be curtailed nor eliminated.

Ali Malik Tariq
Lahore