Our biggest dilemma is that we don't know who our enemy is. This ignorance has made ourselves our own biggest enemy. We have no doubt that India is our declared enemy. This clarity has served us well as we have prepared ourselves mentally and militarily to defend against any Indian-imposed war of aggression. Today we are a nation armed with nuclear arsenal thanks to the clarity about our neighbor's aggressive designs against our integrity. What we have not understood and recognized is the enemy in the guise of a friend. Most people in Pakistan agree that America was behind Liaqat Ali Khan's assassination. We all know Kissinger threatened Bhutto saying he would be turned into a horrible example and he was. We all know the promised 7th Fleet never reached to save East Pakistan which was ostensibly allowed to turn into Bangladesh. We are still clueless how Zia and the rest of our top army brass were killed in a plane crash? We have hundreds, if not thousands, of people at the helm of affairs in all departments and institutions, both in public and private sectors, in all strata of society that are their active and silent agents. They are working in their masters' interests all the time. We are virtually held hostage, our integrity, sovereignty and prestige are all in their hands. Today our own existence is at stake. Shouldn't we try to stop it all here? Let us be our own friend and not our own worst foe. -ALYA ALVI, Rawalpindi, via e-mail, May 10.