Daily Times

Sir: I do not want to comment on the investigations being carried out by Pakistani law enforcement agencies (LEAs) whether Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) is behind the Pathankot airbase attack or not as truth will surface shortly provided we realise the extent of role being played by non-state actors thanks to our nation-wide ostrich-like approach. My question is —- what is the definition of a banned outfit? The interior ministry and its websites will ever help you in this regard. We should be grateful if they provide even a list of banned outfits. But it is a fact that JeM was banned in 2002, but does it mean — it’s permitted to maintain bank accounts, operate religious seminaries and party office, maintain an interactive website, publish hate material and jihad literature, its supporters are allowed to arrange gatherings addressed by leadership? JeM is such a blue-eyed boy that it did not bother to even change its name as its counterparts did after 2002 – Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) became Jamatud Dawa (JUD). Why authorities remained so relaxed towards JeM for that long — because they do not attack Pakistanis? What an ill-thought Catch-21 scenario; if a banned outfit limit itself to cross-border terrorism, then what about our national mantra — “we will not permit our soil to be used against other countries for terrorism.” Do not we feel shame repeating this mantra day-in and day-out?

After losing more than 50,000 Pakistanis at the hands of our once-milked snakes, and making a Pakistani link a permanent feature in any terrorist activity in the region and beyond; where do we stand — what’s the change between today and December 16, 2014? For me, there is no difference — if the purpose of National Action Plan (NAP) and constitutional amendment to establish military courts was only to launch Karachi operation, then let’s change its name from NAP to Karachi Action Plan (KAP). Why bother about all these embarrassing questions on active but ‘banned’ outfits under the very nose of NAP?

MASOOD KHAN

Jubail

Saudi Arabia