The world’s
largest democracy and Pakistan’s favorite neighbor India gets its new
leadership and Karachi airports are stung by a gruesome terrorist attack. Many wish to draw a comparison. Some wave it
off as sheer co-incidence. Others are
not interested in ‘conspiracy’ theories. I, on the other hand, choose to remain silent.
The Karachi
airport attacks left 36 dead including 10 terrorists. All these men of ‘faith’
were wearing suicide vests clearly telling us that they never really feared
death. They were bred in an environment where death was an expected and very
much welcome guest. Every time a clash between us and them takes place, they get
the media coverage. It doesn’t really matter if it’s about them blowing up a
building or about us air bombing their forever ‘remote’ locations. They still
make their presence felt.
Pakistan was
born with fear and has lived with fear. Fear never left Pakistan and Pakistan
always feared the past, the present and even the future. A failed state
struggling to come to terms with its huge population, poor international
relations and radical groups, Pakistan has always been making ends meet to be
labelled as a democracy.
Recently,
Pakistan’s fist-fighting with the terrorist outfit Tehrik-e-Taliban escalated
into a bloody affair. Terrorists launched an attack at the Karachi Airport
leaving 26 dead. The ten terrorists were also gunned down. It is reported that
two terrorists blew themselves up using their suicide vest. Now, all eyes were
on Pakistan.
Pakistan
followed with a ruthless air-strike in North Waziristan shelling almost 100
militants. The attacks were carried out early in the morning. The mastermind of
the Karachi airport attack was also killed in the attacks. Pakistan sent a
strong and quick reply to its enemies.
I admire the
enthusiasm with which Pakistan has gone ‘public’ about their intolerance
towards religious terrorist outfits. For the first time, Pakistan has taken an
open stand against terrorism. This is a positive sign. When we take the Modi-Shareef
meeting into consideration, this form of retaliation is just what India expects
from Pakistan. Once the two nations combine forces against terrorist groups
ailing the Indian sub-continent, the world will recognize a new allied power.
But how
practical is Pakistan’s war against terrorism? By the time the war ends,
Pakistan will be reduced to dust. Whatever development has taken place will be
undone. The economy will wither away. The beautiful cities of Islamabad and Karachi
will be in shambles thanks to the acute guerrilla attacks. Pakistan will not be
able to recover. And portions of the resistance will always survive and hide
away in pockets. They will come back and cause damage to the state. Pakistan
will hardly ever win such a war. It would be careless and illogical to say that
we’ll see a terror free Pakistan in a few years. An estimate of the degree of collateral
damage will always act as a deterrent for a full scale war against terror.
