There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that Pakistan is the country which has suffered most at the hands of Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. One must remember the fact that since 9/11,Pakistan has apprehended and killed over 700 al Qaida operatives. During the last 10 years, terrorism has presented multifarious challenges to this nation.
From suicide bombings to IED device explosives the whole country has suffered from the scourge of terrorism. Over 30,000 of our civilians have lost their lives and tens of thousands have been injured/disabled for life. Thousands of children have been orphaned and thousands of women have been widowed. Parents have lost their young sons and the only bread earners. For what?
In the first place the US must realise that this is a long war. No country can fight it alone. We are partners in combating terrorism. They must trust and work with their partners. They have to act thoughtfully and keep in view the big picture for building long-term strategic relationship with Pakistan. Unilateral actions like May 2nd and continuing drone attacks over Pakistan territory are not helpful in winning the battle of hearts and minds which is more important in this struggle. International community must help Pakistan in building its capacity, enabling it to counter terrorism. United States has its own national objectives and every country including Pakistan does have its own policies to further political, social and economic agendas. Pakistan is a front line state against this menace. Pakistan's genuine security concerns must have bearings on the US policy in the region. We need to build a relationship based on mutual trust and enhance our intelligence sharing mechanism.
al Qaeda has made Pakistan its battleground after 9/11. Its top and second-tier leadership belongs to the lands other than Pakistan or Afghanistan. Whereas the foot soldiers and suicide bombers belong to the lower rung of our society. Our younger generation has been lured to become suicide bomber after brainwashing and on the assurance that they are fighting the enemies of Islam. This situation is being exploited by many of our foreign enemies who do not want to see a stable and peaceful country on path to development.
Pakistan's defence forces including army, air force and navy personnel have been martyred by the terrorists. Over 5000 of our security personnel have been killed by terrorists. Important military installations including GHQ have been targeted. Compounds belonging to our intelligence agencies have been bombed in many major cities across the country. Let us not forget the FC and other law enforcement agencies personnel who laid down their lives in this fight.
The US has certainly breached our sovereignty by penetrating deep into the country and targeting the compound. This should not have happened in the first case. There should have been clearly laid down rules of engagement and operations. That could only be done if there is a mutual trust amongst the coalition partners and the Pakistan's security apparatus. There is need for enhancing Pakistan's capability too. Pakistani nation is a very proud nation and they see such actions as infringement upon their sovereignty. But at the same time we must not allow foreign terrorists to harbour in our country and kill our citizens. In the first place it's the al-Qaeda and its affiliates who have violated our sovereignty and provided an opportunity for foreign forces to violate the sanctity of our borders.
We cannot live in isolation in today's global village. We have to interact with the international community. We want to progress and develop as a nation. We have to make Pakistan a country that was envisioned by our founding father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. In the end I must say that this is not the moment of despondency. It is time for our leadership both political, inside and outside the Parliament and the military to join hands for the protection of the vital interests of the country and to take the nation forward on the path to progress and development.
VIA