Pakistan is burning. The fire chief is helpless: no petrol/water/salaries for engine/tanker/staff. Yet he is fighting... through talks with the fire. He hopes that it will spare Pakistan and walk towards India. If not, he will present everyone a plaque inscribed with a fatwa, Muslims killed by fire are martyrs!
The US labelled Afghanistan as the greatest threat to peace, fought it bravely along with its allies for twenty years, suffered a humiliating defeat, hugged the Afghans and bid adieu like its elders, the British and Russian empires. This proves again that Afghanistan is the graveyard of superpowers. Now Jihad is bound to reach new heights in Pakistan. I have 14 points to support it:
1) Pakistan is experiencing the worst economic meltdown.
2) Insurgency is Balochistan has gained momentum.
3) Indian threat to occupy Gilgit-Baltistan.
4) Mohsin Dawar/Manzoor Pashteen have strengthened the Pashtoons’ cause.
5) The social media has started exposing the sacred cows.
6) The country has to look after millions of flood victims.
7) Buying power has reduced and forced even the upper class to tighten belt.
8) Covid still persists and Dengue virus has caused 1600 deaths since Jan.
9) Big powers have gifted the hotbed of terrorism to Taliban.
10) Global economy is in recession. No more ‘stipends’ for us to fight terrorism.
11) Public executions/flogging have delighted the right-wing which is in majority.
12) Politicians/clerics don’t condemn TTP that now beheads soldiers.
13) Politicians are playing blame games.
14) Religious scholars want more Islam in laws and school/college books.
Talks/operations will augment the TTP which is not a terrorist outfit but a strong ideology that was launched in the 70’s when the lawmakers declared the Ahmadis as non-Muslims. To defeat this pernicious ideology, every single law/act/initiative/policy must be discarded that fed it. In a nutshell, make Pakistan a society where every citizen is equal no matter what his/her religion/belief is. If this is not realised today, tomorrow, the law of TTP will prevail on every inch of Pakistan which is just a level above Afghanistan on rights indicator.