Long lasting peace in Pakistan is linked to exit of US-led foreign troops from Afghanistan, said political leaders, experts and people from intelligentsia as they said the military operation initiated by the present government in Swat could be a long time business.
They were speaking at Seminar on "Beyond the Military Operation" arranged by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) here on Sunday. The speakers opposed the ongoing military operation by calling it a 'US war'. However, they rejected simultaneously the militants' interpretation of Islam. PTI chairman Imran Khan, former Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Qazi Hussain Ahmad, leader of opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, former NWFP governor Ali Muhammad Jan Orakzai, former ambassadors Rustam Shah Mohmand and Ayaz Wazir gave their point of view on the prevailing situation.
Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhry Nisar said that political forces must not look towards the government for seriously taking up the process of dialogue for political solution of the present crises. He called for an effective role of all the political parties and the leaders to establish some kind of contact with the militant leaders. They should use their influence on the militants among the Taliban and talk to them what do they really want, he said. This should be done outside the ambit of the government, he added.
"President Zardari is totally dependent on the US. It certainly seems that Zardari is more loyal than Musharraf as far as the issue of pleasing Washington is concerned. Musharraf, listened to at least something from his army," he added.
Let us not expect any thing good from Zardari, said leader of the opposition. The country's very survival is at stake, he said. We had a role to play. The present government policies are not different from those of dictator Musharraf, he said.
Nisar, however, differed with other speakers on the Taliban threats, saying that war with those who target our cities, our police force and our innocent civilians is justified. This is, after all, our war. We have to fight it off.
At the same time, however, he warned that time is fast running out for the government in military action in Swat and other parts of Malakand division. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have been put in hot tents cannot wait for long.
Qazi Hussain Ahmad said that the government actions were severely damaging the interests of the country. The US is also engaged regionally to harm Pakistan. The Taliban or the militants among them are tarnishing the image of Islam, he said.
"We do not approve the Taliban version of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never punished those without beards and music listeners. He never punished the women for not observing veiling," he said.
The western countries, he said, have well thought out plan named "Islam's internal battle". "They made this plan after embracing of Islam by many intellectuals in France," he said.
This plan was aimed at linking Islam with terrorism. The prime objective of this plan is to make the Sunnis fight with Shiites, the people with government, the people with army, and so on. This is what is happening in Pakistan today," he added. He warned that Washington wants Pakistan in small pieces. The patriotic Pukhtoons are being pushed into a tight corner. The Pukhtoons are denied houses for rent in federal capital, Punjab and Sindh, he added.
The only way out of the present crises is to regain our sovereignty, "the sovereignty of our national policy making." In order to achieve this, the government will have to sever its cooperation with US immediately. We will have to restore our dignity and we will have to stop begging. The money the rulers beg from the western countries never transfer to the IDPs or poor people. It is used only for the interest of the government and its functionaries, he accused.
PTI chief Imran Khan said that it was purely a political war being fought on ideological basis. The present government does not comprehend in which quagmire the country is really in, he said. He warned that military operation has been launched against an unknown enemy. "For winning the war, you will have to know your enemy first. The military and the political leadership do not know their enemy. One million plus Taliban are not militants. This war is winnable," he added. He warned that foreigners had started frequent visits to different areas in southern Punjab. They have their designs in the area, he said.
He proposed that political leadership of the country should send its own delegation to the US and inform the Obama administration that the US and its allies war in Afghanistan could never be won. The US president will at least listen to us. Bush and his deputies have already left the White House, he added.
Former Governor NWFP Lieutenant General (retd) Ali Jan Orakzai said that US had sabotaged the agreements between the militants and the previous Musharraf-led government. The killing of Maulana Nek Mohammad in a predator attack at a religious seminary in which some 82 students were killed was all part of the US plan.
He said the country was passing through a difficult time of its history as it was a make or break time. He said has anyone ever analysed what led the nation to this situation. "It was not our war rather we made it ours through our policies framed as result of Musharraf's 'yes' to midnight call from the US.
"Military operation is no solution to the issue. What have our friends (US) achieved in eight years in Afghanistan?" he questioned. He feared that there would be more operations in other parts of the country, more causalities, more bloodshed and more displaced people. He asserted war will take years, still it may not be won.
He urged the US and its allies to think of its honourable exit from Afghanistan through the assistance of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. We are heading towards disaster in the regional context. Musharraf, during his last visit to the US, had proposed to Washington to frame an exit strategy from Afghanistan.
Former ambassador Ayyaz Wazir underlined the need to win hearts and minds of the locals through development as military operation would not solve any issue.
He said it's unfortunate that the army is fighting its own people in troubled areas of the country. The issue, he added, could have been resolved had the intentions of the decision makers were positive. He opposed any operation in Waziristan Agency, and added unwanted elements can be identified and rooted out from the area with the help of local people and local Taliban.
Rustam Shah Mohmand, former diplomat and now Chief Commissioner Afghan Refugees said that the nation was facing the post 9/11 hazards. He said "we have to be mindful of the cost the country is paying for executing the policy regarding war on terror. "As many as 700 Pakistanis including Dr Afia Siddiqui were handed over to the US without following law of the land. We have handed over the diplomat of another country to the US in total contradiction of international laws," he added.
Former Secretary Roedad Khan termed the war on terror more difficult to justify, and is more difficult to win. He said war on terror is not our own war but imposed by the corrupt ruler who could not say 'no' to Washington.
He said Pakistan is no more a sovereign country and added our own F-16s are being used against the people of the country just to please the US. "We are fighting proxy war in Swat and Fata. We joined coalition of coerce after a phone call from Washington," he said.
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