Pakistan has not been seen by all as a firm ally in the battle against jihadist terrorism. It has long been accused by many in the United States and elsewhere of providing support for the Taliban, something it denies. Yet diplomats in the West want to persuade the Taliban to allow their nationals to leave Afghanistan , to let humanitarian aid in and to govern moderately. And that means they need to talk to countries like Pakistan and others in the region.
Critics of Pakistan have accused it of hedging its bets over Afghanistan and the Taliban. But at the same time, parts of the country's military and intelligence establishment maintained links with Islamist groups in Afghanistan like the Taliban. Those links, so it is claimed, at times turned into significant material and logistical support. The belief among strategists was that Pakistan wanted a stake in Afghanistan, to ensure it did not end up with a government that was pro-India.
The extent and duration of Pakistan's support for the Taliban is disputed. But when the Taliban were last in power 20 years ago, Pakistan was one of the few countries to formally recognise its government. And when the Taliban seized Kabul last month, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan declared the group were "breaking the chains of slavery".
Pakistan's historic support for the Taliban does not, however, mean it is entirely relaxed about the group's takeover in Kabul. Pakistanis have suffered hugely over the years at the hands of Islamist terror groups launching attacks over the border from Afghanistan. That means Pakistan has an interest in the Taliban acting firmly and not allowing Afghanistan to descend into an ungoverned space.
The other great concern of Pakistan is a refugee crisis. The country already has about three million Afghan refugees from previous wars and, with its ravaged economy, it cannot afford to support any more.
Pakistan's High Commissioner to the UK, Moazzam Ahmad Khan, told the BBC Today programme: "We don't really have the capacity to take more refugees in and that's why we're suggesting - and requesting - that let's sit down together and work on the possibility of avoiding that eventuality. Perhaps the poorest are with the United States.
One of the issues is that Pakistan lacks a definition beyond Jinnah. Regardless of how great he may be, no one is so exalted that he may define a nation of mln people.
And it has been submitted by other commentators on this website that Jinnah's defintion of Pakistan did not extend beyond a safehouse for sub-continents muslims.
There was no social definition, no constitutional articulation etc. All he provided was a motley and unfused collection of grand ideals. He was a Qaid-e-azam released Pakistan from bondage but not a nation builder. The problem with Pakistan started with its inception itself. Religion should never be associated with State, India chose to become a secular nation but Pakistan become an Islamic country. In a country where majority are poor and illiterate it is dangerous weapon in the hands of ruling class.
There hatred towards India is also an important factor in their present condition. To fight India they establish factory for producing terrorists, but forget that its a double edged weapon and one day it will have to face them too. Its never too late to introspect, and Pakistan should sincerely do something concrete to come out of this situation. Faiz Siddiqui 10 years ago Reply If US leaders like Hillery Clinton or Kerry pass remarks about Pakistan they either forget or intentionally do not mention that it was American who pushed Pakistani nation towards anorchy.
It was America who has been vehemently supporting military governments. To my opinion, Pakistan is basically an unnatural country came out on horizen as a result of circumstances especially after world war-II. Their leadership had no vision what kind of structure of the state. And as someone said that Pakistan is like a child who never got vaccination for the prevention of disease. Now it has been grown but with full of diseases, corruption, nepotism, terrorism etc etc despite a nuclear power.
QuranVsHadith 10 years ago Reply faraz: very true!! Thinking 10 years ago Reply Why do people care about Jinnah's vision? Do the people of Pakistan want to be a free, democratic, peaceful, and economically successful country or do they want all of Pakistan to turn into Kurram Agency with Taliban "helping create peace so they may have room to roam around" between warring Sunnis and Shias while schools close down, economy dies, and people are left helpless.
Incapable and mediocre leaders can not set direction for the nation, at least, up till now. A pakistan where one can disagree with others on matters of religion without having a religious terrorist pump 27 bullets into me.
Jinnah wanted a nation for Muslims. He found Pakistan. While he spoke of 'tolerating' non-muslims, he was clear that Pakistan would be the Muslim homeland. His successors made sure it was exclusive muslim homeland by systematically eliminating Hindus from Pakistan.
What was Jinnah thinking? You could create a nation on the basis of a religion without that nation assuming a purely religious identity? History teaches us that all nations which were religiously beholden were victims of long religious wars.
Pakistan will have to find a non-religious identity for it to forge a modern nation. Humanity 10 years ago Reply faraz wrote: Frankly, the more you study about Jinnah, the more clueless you get about his vision. Muslim League simply had no social economic agenda! What part are you clueless about the founding father's vision? His vision is clearly laid out in his August 11, speech.
The Muslim Lague of the Quaid had a socio-economic agenda based on the upholding the fundamental human rights for all the citizens. In other words, his vision was to form a democratic system of governance with the aim of providing equal opportunity and justice to all the citizens, regardless of their origin, race, religion, gender, or age. What Pakistan has realized is an oligarchy where justice is for sale to the highest bidder, economic opportunity is availed by the highest briber, and life is to be lived according to the fatwa of the mullah who has taken on the role of the feared ghunda of the mohallah.
Give more to ISI. Spend more on developing nukes. Ban free press- it is creating more problems than solving it. Suspend formal education - it just takes precious resources out of defense needs. Strengthen the madrassas - make madrassa education compulsory for all kids. Eliminate democracy - the leaders are corrupt and army runs most of the country including foreign policy anyway, so why not let them do it openly. Finally, declare Sharia law as only law of the country. That'll be so perfect.
That'll take you closer to Jinnah's vision of Pakistan. Cherish Raj 10 years ago Reply Majority of the countries in the world are poor. Corruption, nepotism, poverty, inequality are there in most of the countries. Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia are the poorest parts of the world. But how is Pakistan different?
Why is there so much intolerance and suicide bombings in Pakistan? The decision to end one's life to destroy others goes against the orientation of human evolution. It can only be done by relentless indoctrination and incitement of hatred. This is where Pakistan is different from other poor countries including its neighbors India and Afghanistan. Take on the bull by its horns. Fight intolerance and hatred first. There should be a total revamping of the Pakistani society like the Germans did after the Nazi disaster.
Otherwise, the cancer will spread like wildfire. This cancer emanating from Pakistan has already consumed Afghanistan, and it is threatening India and other neighbors. ML and Jinnah represented the feudal elite and were vey useful to the British to undermine thaw nationalistic struggle of Gandhi, Nehru and Azad. He could have dictated a 20 page manifesto to his secretary, he did not because he did not have one. Provoking mass agitation in the nMe of religious identity is the only thing known to Jinnah.
Sure fiscal reforms and building a dam is something all of us on most days will agree to most of the time. I thought however you were talking about the current choice at hand with regard to militancy in the country.
Your Pakistan has a very physical enemy present within its borders. One that does not want arts to flourish, children to play in the street, people of different ethnicities and religions to live together, where women have equal rights.
Did not see you take a position on what to do about this enemy of your Pakistan. What do you suggest we do about militance? Rattan Sydney. Roney Indian. Good article, an eye opener for Pak youth, better late than never!! Thats what the pepole should try to shape their country.
When I see the things go smoothly in W. Europe, always wonder why cant we build such system in India too.. Attitude and common sense is the big problem.. The other day I was in Delhi and 4 young boys in Merc enjoying, drinking but threw the water bottle on a main road.
I suppose they are not illetrate but lack the common sense, responsibility.. Arre baba Mosquito will not see the difference between poor or rich.. Ultimately it will hit you.. I bet you.. Cheers Ratnesh Dr. Faizan Afzal. A Pakistan that is for Pakistanis. Every citizen is protected by law, every citizen have basic human rights.
Every citizen can fulfill their own dreams, and those of their children. Where we can listen to each other's perspective, and discuss things rather than fight. Where every child can have access to education, health, and a good future.
It seems this is a lot but after witnessing at least 30 other nations including global travel to more than 50 countries, all this can be achieved in our lifetimes. Only need that we all including our leadership provide their committment, and that we all exhibit positive attitude, and encourage each other.
A Wasim. This reads like a communist manifesto. Replace "Pakistan" with any other country's name in the article and it would pretty much sum up the aspirations of every nation on earth. But the ideology of Pakistan is not merely about food, water and road.
It was created to be a guiding light for the rest of the Muslim world and as a torch bearer to spread the glory of Islam. Start by cleaning your home and streets around your house. Indian fromUSA. You seem to describe my experience of India. I think the question should be: Do we, at all, have a Pakistan??? This is impossible as the principles for foundation of Pakistan were religious and regional, eastern and western India and not all of India. This was bound to fail! The only Pakistan people need is Peoples' Pakistan.
To have Peoples' Pakistan, people will need to come together and work hard. Work hard to become responsible citizens. Responsible citizens who are responsible to ensure that they observe law and order and esnure that everyone does the same.
Whateveer people want to do, they will have to do something impossible. Organise themselves into a party of the people. A party of the people in cntrol of the people. Can people do it? It is entirely up to them. But, where there is Will there is Way. Mumtaz Ahmed. The question needs a little change as: Do you want a Pakistan of Taliban?
Do you want a Pakistan of target killers? Do you want a Pakistan of M. A Jinnah, a secular Pakistan? Quaid-e-Azam did not practice what he preached! He was known to consume alcohol, eat pork, wear fine western clothing, preferred English and Gujarati over Urdu, and not performing daily frequent Namaz! I agree with Hammad. The writer seems to have a grudge against the MQM. I'm never a MQM supporter, but they seem to be one of the few voices speaking up against the Talibanization of our society.
All the things that the writer is dreaming about are not not possible as long as the Taliban are here and majority of Pakistanis have a soft spot for the Taliban just because they are Muslim. We need to make a rational choice between supporting these barbarians or having a free secular society. Shahid Masud HotMasud. Dear Vijai, I think you didn't get the message the author is trying to pass on. Pakistan was like that as long as you were following Islam wrapped in Hinduisim which is fundamentally very inclusive.
As soon as you decided that you want to shift your culture from last yrs civilization exclusively to that of a certain tribal form prevelant in a certain desert region, you lost the plot. Mohammed bashir. Can only be achieved if Pakistanis convert from Islam. The question is too vague. Please differentiate the two by characterizing the thoughts and actions so that we can vote. Brilliant article, man. Kudos to you! I want to see the Pakistan of my youth early s , back on track.
In My village mosque where I was learning my Quran reading and was also taught how to pray , There was no fear , no discremination against Shias , while the predomin Sunni used to pray as a jammat , in the same hall , few resident shia would also come and pray without any fear and eye rolling Fast forward , during a recent visit to the same mosque and it happened to be a Friday hence the Mullah was giving a sermon and it happened to be topic of Sahab's the prophet's friends in general But his immediate successors To my Surprise less but to an internal Alarm more , The Mullah praised the 1st 3 caliphs Abu baker , Omer , Osman RATHH alloting at least 10 minutues each to describe their treats in details But just stopped there and ended his sermon , not even mentioning the 4th Khalifa Ali bin abitalib RATH even by name let alone throwing some light on his good deeds for a few minuts!
I guess i would not be surprised that for almost 2 weeks praying there , I never saw a single Shia entering the God's prayer house even from the same families who still live there , no one dares to come in and use the place to offer their normal prayers as they used to do in that period of my 50s This is the Pakistan that you inherited after years of civilizational evolution. That was a piece of a dream land called India.
Now that's all gone. All peaceless people are eliminated and purity has been established. Things cannot improve without identifying the lawyers who cultivated the benefits of divorce in a calculated manner. How are you going to recreate the diversity that you have lost? After eliminating all the sheeps, can the foxes pretend some to be the sheeps they have lost?
I wish at least half of your dreams could become true , anyways it is encouraging to see sweet dreams than nightmares. It is the responsibility of each and every unit of the Pakistani nation to strive hard to achieve a better Pakistan where each and every citizen can breathe freely,no matter what class,creed ,religion, or sect one believes in.
B R Chawla. If wishes were only the horses you would get Pakistan of your dreams. It costs you nothing to day dream when all is lost to chaos of our own making. Yes if people of Pakistan will recognize their own real roots that lie in the soil of Jhelam and Chenab there is salvation in the making but if you continue to boast of your ancessatory in the marauders of the desert who plundered your nation, raped and your ancessasters only god can save you.
If every wish that you have expressed is granted then it will not remain Pakistan anymore it will be more like Hindusthan. Pakistan also has its.. After decades of trial and error Pakistan has finally reached a stage where it can have an identity of its own -being the most dangerous place on earth.
If we take away these unique traits there will be no identity left. I fully respect author's views and actually agree with the same. I want to have a similar Pakistan too. However, I have a diffferent viewpoint. Even the longest journey starts with a single step. This people's refrendum may be that first step in that direction. It may provide a good indication to the political parties, specifically the convenor of the referendum, and also to general public, a good indication of wishes of a big chunk of common people.
If someone participates in the referendum they can see for themselves if the process is somewhat transparent and, based on their own observation, can then later on judge how much tainted the results are or if the announced results are believable at all or not. The party does not have have government's powers to implement anything so the results will not be binding on anyone.
So why be afraid of taking the first step? Mr Abro unintentionally portrayed the true islam as practiced by mohammad. He wished for all the elements normally seen in a true Islamic state since true islam is based on tolerance, honesty, hardwork, knowledge and equality irrespective of ethnicity, creed or gender. Hashim Younosi. Very well said and very important points have been mentioned in the article written by my brother.
I wish him good luck to say the truth one day his dream will come true. It is absolutely necessary to bifurcate the state and religion, if Pakistan has to prosper and developed.
However, those who are seeking the referendum are ready to forgo the ideology of Pakistan?
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