Earlier in the month, when the entire country was in the grip of gathering clouds of violence on our North West frontier, the people were groaning under the weight of ever increasing food prices, the coalition was creaking at the joints, American violations of our air space were becoming routine, American incursions had actually killed innocent citizens.
The President's continuing role (often at cross purposes with the government) was continuing to be a cause of concern, the delay in addressing the judicial issue was threatening to upset the political apple cart, the parliament, the cabinet and the Prime Minister were under growing criticism for being more and more isolated from happenings in the country, Mr Asif Zardari chose to be out of the country to visit Turkey to "further strengthen the ties between the two countries" and Greece to deliver the key note address at the Socialist International Congress in Athens.
AMONG THINGS MR. ASIF ZARDARI SAID AT THE CONGRESS, INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING "REVELATIONS" AND NUGGETS OF WISDOM:
-- Pakistan was now "the Petri dish of terrorism..."
(Petri dish is a dish used especially to grow bacterial (here terrorist) cultures in the laboratory)
-- Pakistan could still be converted into a successful model of modernity for 1.3 billion Muslims but it needed international community's help.
-- We cannot do it alone. We need the help of the world. If we fail (in containing terrorism) the world will fail with us.
-- Pakistani government planned to transform tribal areas - hotbed of terrorist activity, economically and socially and integrate these areas into the mainstream Pakistani society.
-- In Pakistan, political Madressahs have spread hatred and intolerance. And if political Madressahs will not conform ... we will shut them down. No doubt this symphony of admissions of Pakistan's "guilt" will fall like sweet music on the years of neo-cons like Bush, Cheney and the like. Here is confirmation, they will say, straight from the horse's mouth, of what we have been saying all along.
Therefore you must do more and get your military to wage a full scale war against "terrorists", in other words against an ever increasing number of Pakistani citizens who are branded by the neo-cons with that epithet! What a frightening stick to be given into the hands of the enemies of Muslims to beat Pakistanis with!
It is remarkable that, there is not a single word in the entire published report of Mr Zardari's speech, about the need to explore and address the root cause of the rise of "terrorism", no word about unjustified death and destruction perpetrated upon millions of Muslims in Palestine, in Iraq, in Kashmir and so on and no word about taking steps to redress those wrongs! There is, however, a constant refrain in Mr Zardari's reported speech, of asking for more and yet more money to help Mr Zardari crush terrorism in the country.
What is the expected result of Mr Zardari's foray into foreign affairs? His "revelations" of Pakistan's "guilt" will be frequently quoted by the enemies of Pakistan to justify more and more attacks by American troops on Pakistani territory and to make increasingly strident demands on Pakistani government and military to stop negotiating with the Tribals and instead to wage a full scale war against them. (yawajid@yahoo.com)