Constitution of Pakistan forbids private militias, armed groups who terrorize or kill citizens, collect extortion, forcibly occupy private property etc, yet few in our elected executive, paid public servants or members of sensitive institutions have assumed unto themselves the right to ignore constitution, justifying such acts on grounds of their distorted version of national interest or state security objectives.
This country, its corrupt bureaucracy, police, immigration, custom, border and coast guards, together with greedy political and military dictators have provided the perfect breeding environment, over past few decades, for the curse of terrorism to gain a foothold in the country. Today terrorism, more than anybody else is the biggest threat to our security. Our external enemies don’t have to waste billions in direct conventional conflict, all they need to do is fund a few gangs, destroy our internal security mechanism, bribe corrupt machinery, damage our essential military installations, and create an environment where economy comes to a standstill and sectarian and ethnic strife damages our unity.
The writ of state was challenged when over 200 policemen were killed in target killing by known members of ‘politically backed’ criminal mafia, which collected extortion, with capacity to cripple our nation’s economic hub. The seeds for terrorism were sown when foreign criminals were allowed to enter at will, and depart when they so desired, after they had carried out a crime in broad day light on camera.
Terrorists, who exploit religion, to recruit poor, whose parents could not afford private schools, the state having forfeited this obligation, have opened few Madressah, where they brainwash these illiterates, making them believe that suicide bombers would enter heaven. With criminal gangs earning billions in Karachi, this was incitement for terrorists to follow suit.
No sovereign country would tolerate killing uniformed person on duty, while in Pakistan, under Musharraf and than PPP, murder of policemen were ignored for short term political gains. ‘Writ Of Law’ was subdued and terrorists, using religion started attacking our sensitive military installation, indulged in jail breaks, while state, failed to perform its constitutional obligation to protect lives and property of the citizens. What can you expect when funds allocated for counter terrorism were spent on entertainment etc but not on fighting terrorism.
MALIK TARIQ ALI,
Lahore, January 24.