This refers to different news reports on measures being taken to address the cancer of terrorism in Pakistan. Now Pakistani government has again taken a task which is bound to fail from the onset. It gathered all the major political and religious parties, named as All Parties Conference –APC, on Sept. 09 to discuss the way forward to counter the ongoing religious terrorism in the country.
One may question wisdom of holding such an APC while all these parties are represented in the parliament, then why don’t they debate the issue in the parliament?
Have the Taliban accepted Pakistan as a democratic country run under a constitution, have they stepped back from their demand to implement their version of Shariah wrapped with tribal customs, do they now accept the prevailing judiciary system, have they agreed to girls’ right to education and work, do they recognize Pakistan as a multi-cultural, multi-religious country? There is no indication that they have backed down even an inch from these demands. They have continued with their actions against women by destroying girl’s schools, banning them from entering markets on their own, barring them to vote.
They have continued to attack religious/ sectarian minorities, Sufi shrines, cultural centers, vital installations. In my opinion, APC is an exercise in futility. It’s an exercise by the government to pass on the responsibility (and blame) to others to decide on its behalf. With such a vast country, wide ideological divide on terrorism which has polarized the entire nation, no one shall expect a single decisive voice from the APC. The government, whether they like it or not will have to take the final decision, they can’t continue the ‘blame game’ this time.
MASOOD KHAN,
Saudi Arab, September 8.