Flirting with enemies

A bomb blast in Anarkali, Lahore – one of the most crowded parts of the city – has killed at least three, including a child, and injured many. One cannot help but think that we are reaping the harvest of Zia’s flirtations with extremist organisations. He got us involved in proxy wars and exploited religion. Political issues and problems within Pakistan need to be resolved politically or through judicial process – not by disproportionate use of force. For a country created through a constitutional political struggle, it is criminal and suicidal to disrupt the political process. Violence begets violence and innocent citizens suffer because of the myopic vision of those at helm. How many more lives have to be lost before we realise that?

As if this was not enough, another ambitious leader has embarked on attaining strategic depth beyond the country’s geographical boundaries. There are no good or bad Taliban, nor can extremists and fundamentalists like the TLP be relied upon. They have no role in Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan. We have already lost half the country because of wandering away from Jinnah’s vision and cannot lose more to personal greed for power, land allotments, and dreams of going from rags to riches.

Malik T Ali

Lahore