Daily Times

Sir: It was May 2, 2011 in Nebraska. I was sitting in my room preparing a persuasive speech related to the idea of construction of a mosque at Ground Zero in NYC. I was actually supporting it in front of the class. Suddenly, the Obama speech was telecast where he announced the death of Osama bin Laden in a raid at a compound in Abbottabad. I can still feel the sense of jubilation that ran through my roommates as well as other fellows living in the hostel. I felt shocked and embarrassed. Shocked because the operation took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan, but the president of America first broke the news of the military operation. I felt embarrassed, as I had been convincing Americans about the fact that despite wasting millions on the war on terror, they did not have their main culprit, bin Laden.

After that, I could not argue with the Americans. They got their man and that too from my land. Is it not ironic when our patriots complain about the US violating Pakistan’s sovereignty? Did our government not join hands in 2001 with the US to help locate bin Laden? Do we not realise that the world’s most wanted man was living right under our noses without our knowledge? Do we not sound stupid in front of the world when it celebrates the death of the most wanted person globally and we, without any logical argument to prove that we had no idea about bin Laden, all we have to say is that the US violated our sovereignty? I think our leaders should stop fooling us. Our leaders cannot even allow Dr Qadeer Khan in their political parties because the US does not approve of him. They fool us when they criticise drone strikes. Many diplomats that I have met from the US consulate say that our politicians have no problems with drone strikes.

I urge all our leaders to stop being hypocrites and speak the truth. Tell us in clear words that despite being the seventh nuclear power, we cannot defend ourselves. In addition, I would recommend leaders to develop moral courage, without which we can never be able to stand against any nation, no matter how equipped we may be with the world’s most sophisticated weapons.

TALAL RAZA

Lahore