Sir: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in an interview to a television channel has said that the only option now is dialogue with the Taliban. He also says that there are no preconditions for such a dialogue and that we should consider only the ‘positives’ from both sides. I am sure the minister knows more about the Taliban than the common citizens of Pakistan. As far as the people are concerned, they know that the Taliban do not recognise the constitution of Pakistan and they do not consider democracy a legitimate system. If the Taliban have changed their stance, then they might have informed the interior minister. Would the minister be kind enough to inform, in turn, the people of Pakistan about recent Taliban views on the constitution and democracy?
One wonders about the positives from the Taliban side. Is the bombing of innocent men, women and children a positive gesture by the Taliban? Is trying to sabotage the elections in Pakistan a positive act? Is breaking into jails in Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan a positive step or is the slaughtering of Shia prisoners in Dera Ismail Khan a positive step? Are the murders of ANP leaders positive or are the target killings of MQM workers in Karachi positive steps? Is stopping women voters from casting their votes positive or is distributing pamphlets in Waziristan about how if a woman is found voting she will be kidnapped and killed, positive action? Is attacking military convoys positive or is bombing the places of worship a positive sign shown by the Taliban? It is a humble request to the interior minister, by the people of Pakistan, to throw some light so that we, the ignorant, can understand him and the Taliban better.
WASIF SYED
Islamabad