There are theories galore.
And these theories have cropped up in the background of a complex but interesting phenomenon. About eight years back, our ruler at that time President General Pervez Musharraf was entrusted (by Washington) with the task of creating terrorists in this country and then fighting them. One way to radicalize a society is to subject it to violence, and force the vulnerable minds into an emphatic response. The mighty armed forces of the U.S did it with remarkable precision when they bombed Afghanistan into total surrender.
Nothing can provoke more infuriated and angry response from a defeated nation than fanning its sense of humiliation. No wonder a Taliban insurgency did not take long to get ignited. Across the border on our side of the region, General Pervez Musharraf did as much as he was in a position to do to oblige his Washington – based paymasters. Resultantly today the so -called U.S war on terrorism has plunged our country too, into an abyss of terror— destabilizing our economy, and most importantly our system of governance.
In the hindsight it seems that General Pervez Musharraf lost the support of Washington not because he had grown extremely unpopular in Pakistan, but because his reluctance to ‘do more’ had begun to annoy the key figures in the U.S Establishment. They wanted a more docile government in this country—one that would have greater democratic legitimacy as well as a readier will to do the U.S bidding.
Hence the hatching and unfolding of the present regime here.
It should surprise no one that some of those around the key power-centre today are even more impatient to wage a war on Terrorism than Washington which infact created it in response to the 9/11 events.
The irony is that Americans after that date have lived in peace and harmony, (except for deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan), while we here in Pakistan have to live in a perpetualized state of anticipation of a bloody act of terror.
The latest one targeted our GHQ on the 10th of October.
Talking about the theories in the air, one deserves a special mention.
The 10/10 has occurred to force our armed forces to go all out against South Waziristan initially and then against the whole tricky mountainous area along the Afghan border. This has been the consistent demand of those who have tried to ‘lure’ us through the now-notorious Kerry Lugar bill. This U.S demand has been ‘dutifully’ voiced by the civilian leadership of our democratic government too.
One does not need to be an Aristotle to surmise that more violence will further radicalize our society, creating better opportunities for our enemies to recruit more and more mercenaries —all ‘armed’ not just with most sophisticated weapons, but also with a ‘sacred’ cause— Islamization!
(First publish on
15-10-2009)
