Trump’s allegations

This refers to the news report, ‘Trump levels allegations against Pakistan, praises India’ (Aug 23). Trump is right for a change: Pakistan, at the behest and funding of the US, trained, armed and sent people to Afghanistan. The US also found a bigoted usurper of power and an upright and honest but biased ISI chief who believed in ‘strategic depth’. Atrocities were committed and ultimately the Taliban government was installed. The rest is history. But as they say, ‘as you sow so shall you reap’, or as the famous poet, Rahman Baba, has said: “Sow flowers, so your surroundings become a garden. Do not sow thorns, for they will prick your feet’.

It is time we learned from our past mistakes of 70 years and set our priorities right. The country should focus more on good governance, the economic development, improving the education and healthcare sectors, and maintaining peace with neighbouring countries. The miseries, including poverty, poor health and illiteracy, of the common man are not to be blamed on others. Pakistan has to set its house in order. It shouldn’t waste its human and economic resources like it has been doing for the last 70 years. At this point, negotiations with the Taliban are important.

Professor Sher Mohammad Khan (Peshawar)