Daily Times

“Pakistan is the front-line state in the war against terrorism” — the sheer depth and impact of this statement can only be understood and felt if one is either a Pakistani or a resident of Pakistan. I am both.

I, like millions of other Pakistanis, live in a country devastated by uncertainties, the foremost being whether one will return home or live to tell the tale. Pakistan has seen a massive assault on its very being, predominantly after 9/11. Terrorists targeted us because we allied with NATO and the US. According to official data, there were 69 suicide bombings in Pakistan between 2002 and September 2009, 17 of which took place in the first seven months of 2009 alone. Fifteen such attacks took place in Lahore between January 2008 and 2009. This is where I live.

According to data collected by Pakistan Body Count, there have been 272 drone attacks in Pakistan that left 2,682 dead and 1,076 injured so far, and 334 suicide/bomb attacks that left 5,072 dead and 13,344 injured until two weeks ago. Others claim the figures are much higher.

The recent attack on Pakistan’s soil by NATO helicopters is a grave violation of not only international law, but also depicts blatant disregard for the loss of life of Pakistani citizens.

Extracts from the preamble to the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973 read, “Whereas sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Almighty Allah alone, and the authority to be exercised by the people of Pakistan within the limits prescribed by Him is a sacred trust; …Wherein the integrity and territories of the federation, its independence and all its rights, including its sovereign rights on land, sea and air, shall be safeguarded; So that the people of Pakistan may prosper and attain their rightful and honoured place amongst the nations of the world and make their full contribution towards international peace and progress and happiness of humanity.”

Now compare this to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that says, “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.”

It might come as a shock to most people that the United Nations does not have a universal, legal definition of ‘terrorism’, reason being that member states have been unable to reach a consensus on one. However, in common parlance it can be defined as “violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for a religious, political or ideological goal, and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians)”.

Now coming back to the unprovoked NATO attack that resulted in the deaths of 24 young soldiers and 15 being injured, I am literally overcome with feelings of contempt for the double standards exhibited by the international community and various alliances. According to these standards, capital punishment, which is awarded by courts after giving a right of defence to the accused, is considered vengeful and barbaric and there is pressure on member states to abolish it. But then according to the same standards are unwarranted and horrific persistent killings of thousands of Pakistani civilians and soldiers as a result of targeted drone attacks and air strikes considered ‘humane’ and ‘justified’? Is this act not barbaric? Is not the killing of innocent people, children inclusive, in indiscriminate attacks, not akin to awarding them the death penalty without a right to trial?

The people of Pakistan have an inalienable right under international law to be free from fear and to equality. Our government is bound by our constitution to safeguard our soil and to ensure our dignity and honour in the world. Whilst the NATO secretary general has apologised for the “regrettable incident” and supported the ISAF investigation, the US military chief, though acknowledging the lives of Pakistanis to be as important as those of Afghans and other international personnel, has refused to apologise. Either way, apology is not going to bring back the young men who lost their lives, nor is it going to soothe the hurt and rage of Pakistanis. But when the international community harps on about human rights, why is the same courtesy not extended to Pakistan? We are the worst hit in this ‘war against terrorism’, which until two years ago had cost us $ 35 billion and thousands of lives. Our entire country has been transformed into something we do not even recognise.

Terrorism is an extremely real threat to the West, but Pakistan is where it is in full rage. I myself had four close calls, where I turned back minutes before bombs went off at the Lahore High Court, the Naval War College, the Federal Investigation Agency’s building and Emergency 15’s headquarters. The latter two buildings were reduced to mere piles of rubble. But when NATO attacks us, definitely to instil fear and for an ‘ideological goal’ without any regard for the security of civilians, how can it not be called terrorism? Or is it only terrorism when committed on western soil? Deliberate killing of our soldiers and civilians cannot be justified or legitimised, whatever the cause or grievance.

I feel that in the given scenario, while it is imperative that we tackle this menace jointly with the West, it is necessary for the West to understand that Pakistanis are not terrorists, that they loathe these barbaric acts as much as their counterparts. It is important to address the root cause of the problem and not just offer symptomatic relief. Global security is a major concern worldwide, and understandably so. We need to stop these terrorists whether we call them the Taliban or al Qaeda. What we need is to analyse the cause and effect and come up with a solution that not only helps Pakistan but also protects the world. The shocking thing is that these terrorists are not only illiterate, poverty stricken beings but also include highly educated elements like the British nationals convicted in Operation Overt. Our law enforcement agencies are already stretched to the limit and are the prime targets of bombers. But when our ‘partners’ turn on us in violation of all international norms and standards, it can only be termed as terrorism.

The garb of war on terrorism has gone on long enough. Pakistan’s sovereignty has been compromised beyond belief in recent years. We are nothing but paupers with begging bowls, selling out our people and their lives for dimes and nickels — that is the value of an average Pakistani’s life.

A few days ago a friend posted a status on Facebook that read, “tum karo tau dance, hum karein tau mujrah”. Roughly translated it means, ‘when it concerns you, it is called dance and when it pertains to us, it is termed mujrah (dance performed by courtesans and frowned upon)’. Maybe the time has come to put an end to the hypocritical standards of the West. And maybe the time has also come to change our audience and get a new dancing partner!

The writer is an advocate of the High Court