The drone issue, like all others associated with the global war on terror has developed and grown over a decade and has become very complex and controversial. There’s a lot that has been said about it in every part of the globe but very little has changed on the ground. Considered as the easiest means of maintaining a position of dominance, during war times drone attacks have become a signature strategy adopted by the western powers droning innocent people and militants alike while sitting safe thousands of miles away with no fear of repercussions.
One question that needs to be asked, in the wake of the statement presented by the Ministry of Defense is how does one confirm that only 67 out of the 2,227 were civilians? Is it that only women and children are classed as non-combatants? If this was, for example, to be believed as the absolute truth (impossible) then what the deuce is our army up to? Why let thousands of our soldiers die when drones can easily finish the enemy? Have the drones cleared major areas from the terrorist strongholds? Why not drone each and every single terrorist and be rid of the menace in a single day? That would surely be fun for those sitting in the US playing deadly games like video games. Imagine the pleasure and the power they must be feeling!
Is the Pakistani government capable of monitoring the progress of drone attacks independently? People now have no faith in the political parties as underhand deals of collusion with the western powers are being exposed. Although the matter of civilian deaths has not been proven but then neither has it been disproved, which just shows that the matter needs more clarity for it to be tackled at all. This controversy of the clandestine involvement of Pakistanis weakens the Pakistani case against it. Any protest raised by Pakistanis is immediately countered by deals of consent. This vicious cycle of a never ending saga of violence and aggression towards the innocent people will never stop.
LUBNA UMAR,
Islamabad, October 31.