Following the 9/11 incident, the US unilaterally got a sort of ‘license to kill’ by assuming the role of world policeman. The so-called ‘drone right’ exercised by the US in Pakistan is nothing but manifestation and expression of this very fact. Within hours after the statement made by the foreign affairs adviser Mr Sartaj Aziz that US would not continue drone strikes in Pakistan during the peace talks with the Taliban’s, the US not only did reasserted its long-practiced ‘drone right’ over Pakistan but also extended it to the settled areas of the country. So far, the government has failed to formulate and implement an effective foreign as well as internal security policy. As Pakistan lacks any comprehensive or proactive counter-terrorism strategy, therefore some non state actors are jointly playing havoc with the peace and very stability of the country.
At present, the US is exercising this so-called ‘drone right’ in Pakistan primarily taking plea of Pakistan’s rapidly-fading writ as a state and general failure of its coercive apparatus to curb the menace of terrorism in the country. So, now, if there were an alleged presence of the high-profile activists belonging to the Haqqni network in Hangu district of KPK province, then intelligence and security agencies of the country should have taken notice of this providing no justification to the US for make such an intervention. The present drone policy and precedent set by the US is dangerous for the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan. As a matter of fact, the writ of the state is also week in the areas like Balochistan and Karachi in particular and rest of the country in general.
Will we now allow the US to extend its drone strategy to such areas of Pakistan to get rid of all undesirable and rogue elements? Now, if the government does not mange to take control then the rudderless ship of the state is sure to collide with an approaching iceberg.
MOHSIN RAZA MALIK,
Lahore, November 22.