Only the brave return

It is pleasure to hear that Malala Yousafzai, the victim of terrorism, came back home. Pakistan has suffered because of adventurism of a cunning military dictator, Zia, who plunged this country into a proxy war to serve US global interests, avenging its defeat in Vietnam, at the cost of this country’s security, economy and lives of millions of Pakistanis. Zia and his coterie of corrupt collaborators may have minted billions to satisfy their insatiable greed for money and power, but they dealt a blow to Jinnah’s Pakistan which continues to bleed. The US manipulated Zia’s weakness to regain status of a sole super war. Unfortunately this has driven Pakistan to financial insolvency and an endless conflict which has resulted in death, misery and displacement for millions of innocent victims.

Malala is one such victim who had courage and moral strength to come out of this quagmire with added vigour to wage struggle against this evil mindset which has plagued lives and destiny of millions. What an irony that Musharraf seeks iron clad guarantees for his security and promises of immunity from accountability, as conditions for return. But Malala, a victim of senseless policies of adventurists like him, made an unconditional return to her homeland. We owe it to the Quaid and our future generations to hold accountable those who may dare to even think about putting at stake the destiny of this country to achieve their selfish short-term benefits. Pakistan can only survive and prosper if it adopts the Quaid’s vision of a modern democratic welfare state.

Malik Tariq Ali

Lahore