A news report published in a national daily quoted the Taliban spokesperson as saying that the Taliban would attack Imran Khan if he went on with his plans of leading a long march to North Waziristan later this year to protest against drone strikes. The reason: Imran calls himself a liberal, and the Taliban consider all liberals infidels. They didn’t stop here though; the Taliban spokesman also accused of infidelity all those who participate in elections, because according to them, democracy is un-Islamic. This bizarre take on religion ought to serve as a wake-up call for all those Pakistanis who nurse a soft spot for the Taliban.
These extremists are out to serve no one but their own interests. But then, who are we talking about here? Aren’t these the same guys who bomb mosques and shrines of Sufi saints? The lunatic fringe that calls itself the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan is the product of an ideology that leaves no space for pluralism. Unless we stand united, they will continue to chip away at Pakistan’s integrity and sovereignty.
Ahmad Mustafa
Lahore