.
.
.
According to military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas, its perfectly OK if about a few hundred armed fanatical fundamentalists hover less than a 100 miles in the vicinity of Islamabad. Absolutely nothing to worry about folkes because its normal you see in Pakistan, even as they threaten other areas in significant numbers, such as Mardan, Peshawar, Wah and Taxila (The last two places where all Pakistan's ordnance and armaments factories are located.)
According to Maj General Abbas its perfectly OK if the Swat Taliban kill a few people, loot property and cause people to flee in the course of defying the Islamabad government and Nisar-i-non-agreement, sticking a fore finger at all who oppose them.........because this is Pakistan, and accept it as the norm in Democratic Pakistan. Talk about selling Pakistan to the West!!!! This has the performance level of Iraqi Ambassador to the UN Muhammad al-Duri, in terms of reassuring the public, and protecting Iraq's image in 1991 for Saddam.
"Don't worry, be happy" its all under control, and there I might tend to agree with him, for to have such a laid back sanguine approach in such "interesting and intriguing" circumstances is reassuring enough and the indication that the Swat Taliban are indeed controlled proxies of the Pakistan military.............with what the Americans have been threatening recently, and the immidiate reaction of the Pakistani military with the Swat Taliban speaks volumes, and reinforces that Pakistani general perception/suspicion.
Using irregular fighters to carry out Pakistan military strategies is an old game that they have used since indepedence, both inside Pakistan and more overtly outside, against India and Afghanistan. It is the Pakistan military's old habit instituted through the British established ISI, "Mudra Doosh". They will require serious rehabilitation to ween them off it, because as stated so many times before, such actions always has negative blow back consequences in the long term for Pakistan's overall image.
After all do you want paranoic Israel, with America, and the UK in unison calling you the most dangerous nation on earth, and the epicenter of global terrorism? Following it up with false flag ops in the UK for example, and blaming them on innocent Pakistanis..............Major General Abbas over to you, "Its OK with me, as long as we can get back into power in Pakistan because thats all that matters to me. We can face down the might of the USA/UK/Israel, no problem just as we did India many times in 1947, 1965, 1971, 1999, and the Soviet Union, after all we are the best military in the world nobody can defeat us. ........................And besides I have a second home just outside Washington, stocks and shares in NYSE, so no problem yaar"
So with the Americans heckling, with some patriotic Pakistanis expressing outrage this has forced the Swat Taliban into withdrawing partially from some parts, but the threat still exists bidding their time, covertly guided by the Pakistan military. But now another arm of the Pakistan Taliban under Baitullah Mehsud, using the numbers game has stated that no less than 300 (movie) of his followers will threaten Pakistani cities with suicide bombers.
Clearly the Pakistan military are desperate to get back into power as national saviors yet again, before Nawaz Sharif develops an alternative forceful, populist narrative to the present Zardari failed regime------------Zardari has acquired a whopping $23 billion in foreign aid commitments thus far through his pleading, on his knees begging mixed with threats of dire consequences for the world if they don't deliver soon....and as Mr. 20% he will make maybe $4 billion from that.
Everybody in Pakistan understands, including his own party that he is no leader of anything. He is not a party leader, he is not a political leader, and he most certainly isn't a national leader, uniting the country around him.....he was always the "Mr. Fix it" in the background, wheeling and dealing....with no political base in his party, no ideological commitment, and the ensuing result is there for all to see in Pakistan:
A government which doesn't govern. Has Zardari enunciated any significant policies in relation to the most pressing issues facing Pakistan, and published those documents for all to see, scrutinise and criticise? Very basic function of government. If Zardari is too busy he can subcontract the numerous experts in his country, both within the public sector and private sector to do so for him.
A President who enjoys foreign trips even when serious events are taking place in his country.
A government with no serious plan of action, which clear strategies to solve the fundamental problems which Pakistan faces. Rather we have a President and government which reacts to yet another bad event, with glib sound bites.
The President in the circumstances seems to be the happiest man in Pakistan.
The $23 billion foreign aid will be wasted, and the situation in Pakistan will only get worse. Nawaz Sharif, and all the other civilian leaders across the board for their own sake must sideline Zardari's failed regime, and reinstate a new civilian one. In doing so it is logical that the ANP should withdraw from the present failed "non-government" coalition, since under the present governments watch the Pakistan Taliban with the help of the military are gaining control of ANP territory rather too easily, whilst ANP candidates are fleeing their seats of power, without a fight. This would be the logical thing to do for the ANP, for their self preservation. The ANP is being too polite with the Pakistan military backed Swat Taliban.
The Pakistan military don't like the ANP, because the Pakistan military have very basic simple perceptions of politics-----friend/foe; this has always been the case with the simple rather stupid Pakistan military, they have never learnt from their great failure in East Pakistan. Maybe the ANP should drop the Awami name tag, to help the Pakistan military understand them better!!! This mindset is never going to change in reality, so in the present circumstances rather than the ANP cling desperately onto a coalition government which is failing them, ceding more and more territory to the Pakistan military backed Taliban, the ANP should rigourously protest, and leave the present coalition. The ANP's passive polite surrender to the Pakistan military backed Swat Taliban will have dire conseqiuences for their party long term.
In doing so they earn respect and recognition as a party which stood up for their rights, and stood up for the rank and file of its followers and party members.
