NOVANEWS
By Sajjad Shaukat
Unlike the past wars, the arena of war has changed. In the ongoing era, lethal weapons and
subversive tactics used by the terrorists including foreign support to internal entities and
propaganda can be more harmful in damaging the interest of a target country. The new warfare
has made it difficult for the military to serve alone as the automatic dominant sphere in every
war, covering all domains. This sort of war requires the cooperation of the entire nation.
In these terms, Pakistan has become the target of the different war, while country’s armed forces
and other intelligence and law-enforcing agencies have intermittently been coping with the
enemy which employs subversive activities of various kinds such as suicide attacks, targeted
killings, assaults on the Army and security agencies, kidnappings, sectarian and ethnic violence.
In this regard, having connection with each other, militant outfits, especially Tehreek-e-Taliban
Pakistan (TTP) and Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and Balochistan Republican Army
(BRA) including other banned organizations have claimed responsibility for a number of terror-
attacks. Karachi, Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and Balochistan have become vulnerable to their acts
of sabotage. On June 8, 2014, the most tragic attack on Zaireen at Taftan Balochistan is quite
alarming where two suicide bombers armed with SMGs attacked and exploded themselves, after
conducting indiscriminate firing on Shias. Resultantly, 24 individuals were killed and 14 injured.
Spokesman of the extremist group Jash-e-ul-Islam accepted responsibility. The brutal attack
seeks immediate attention of Provincial Government and law-enforcing agencies.
Foreign backed subversive activities by the Baloch Sub-Nationalities (BSNs) go on, as
miscreants carried out rocket attacks, target-killings, exploding gas pipelines and firing on
security forces particularly in Awaran, Kech, Dera Bugti, Khuzdar and Pangur areas.
In fact, India has set up secret training centers in Afghanistan where its military personnel in
connivance with Israeli RAW and CIA have been imparting training of guerilla warfare to
the youngsters, having links with TTP, BLA, BRA and other similar insurgent outfits. These
anti-Pakistan agencies send heavily-armed militants who not only target the outposts of Pak
Army, but also commit various sorts of terror-activities in order to destabilize Pakistan. These
insurgents are fighting proxy war with Pakistan. In this context, question arises that the terrorist
Fazalullah is hiding in Kunar, Afghanistan, as to why US did not kill him through CIA-drone
attack, as it did to Hakimullah in North Waziristan.
It is notable that when idea of initiating ‘Aman-Ki-Asha’ (Desire for peace) was presented, the
exponents of this initiative argued that it will provide a platform to Pakistan to make peace with
India and to facilitate resolution of core issues like Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, and Water
through a dialogue process with New Delhi. But, Aman-Ki-Asha, promoted by the Geo and Jang
Media Group in lines of Indian shrewd diplomacy provided India with pretext not only to keep
all the issues with Islamabad unsettled, but also to distort the image of Pakistan, its ideology,
Two Nation Theory, its Army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI).
The collaboration between Geo network and India has been exposed, as leaders of various
political and religious parties including all the segments of society have been condemning the
Geo and Jang Group by showing solidarity with Pakistan’s armed forces and ISI, in the aftermath
of Hamid Mir episode which was manipulated by this media group. In this respect, , on April 28,
2014, voicing his support for the Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir, BJP leader Yashwant Sinha
called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif through a letter to stop ISI from suspending Geo TV
GEO network is trying to garner international support for pressurizing Pakistani government
in its favour. Recently, a meeting between the owner of the Geo Media Group, Mir Shakeel-
ur-Rehman and US Congressmen of Indian lobby was arranged in USA by Pakistan’s former
ambassador to the US, Hussain Haqqani who escaped to America to avoid judicial inquiry,
as he proved disloyal to Pakistan due to his assistance to external enemies. However, such
confluence indicates converging interests of anti-Pakistan forces at national and international
level, manifested through GEO network.
Question is that who are supporting GEO? It is the Indian hawkish leadership alongside global
establishment which are self-proclaimed proponents of free media like Committee to Protect
Journalists, Reporters without Borders, EU Trade Commission and International and Federation
of Journalists including various so-called human rights organizations and NGOs. They do not
have any interest to see a strong and stable Pakistan.
No doubt, GEO is acting as a compliant tool of foreign forces, working to weaken the
government and state institutions of Pakistan. In a shameless attempt to gain public sympathies,
GEO network is orchestrating plans to attack its own employees, while projecting that it was
done by ISI and Pak Army. Pakistani nation cannot be befooled by such a dramatization of self-
infliction. We know who you really are…then why are you inflicting sufferings onto your poor
employees? GEO has lost its popularity in the whole Pakistan. Patriotic Pakistanis have rejected
foreign sponsored ‘JEW TV,’ if it is not true, then why has GEO removed its logo from its vans?
It is mentionable that Hindu politics and culture, dominated by the fundamentalist parties such
as BJP, RSS, VHP, Shiv Sena and other similar groups which have been propagating Hindutva
(Hindu nationalism) are feeling pleasure because BJP hardliner Prime Minister Narendra Modi
speaks of Hindu deep seated animosity against Pakistan. Instead of resolving the issues with
Islamabad, especially Kashmir dispute, Modi Govt in India, wants to revoke the article 370 of
the Indian constitution which grants special status to the Indian Occupied Kashmir. Thus, Modi
has ignored the Kashmiri liberation movement, and UNO resolutions about the independence
of Kashmir. Without any progress on core issues like Indian-held Kashmir, Water, Siachen, Sir
Creek and Indian proxies in Balochistan and FATA, there can be no peace with New Delhi. So,
measures like granting the status of Most Favourite Nation to India will prove fruitless.
Meanwhile, since June 15, this year, Pakistan’s armed forces started a full scale operation
“Zarb-e-Azb” against terrorists in North Wazirastan Agency. In this regard, DG, ISPR, Gen.
Asim Saleem Bajwa said: “On the directions of the Government, Armed forces of Pakistan
have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists…these terrorists
had been waging a war against the state of Pakistan by disrupting our national life in all its
dimensions, stunting our economic growth and causing enormous loss of life and property…with
the support of the entire nation, these enemies will be denied space across the country.” Chief of
Army Staff, General Raheel Sharif also expressed similar views on June 16, saying that military
operation was aimed to eliminate all terrorists to get rid of the menace of terrorism.
Since then, jets of Pakistan Air Force have bombed militants’ hideouts in North Waziristan, and
killed more than 300 insurgents including foreign militants, while Pak Army has also started
ground offensive which has successfully been achieving its goals. Recently, several militants of
the TTP have been killed and more than 10 surrendered before the Army.
It is a good sign that taking it as a war of the entire nation against the external and internal
enemies, Pakistan’s media, politicians, leaders of religious parties and general masses are
showing solidarity with the armed forces. It could be judged from the countrywide protests
and rallies in support of the North Waziristan operation, assistance to the Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs), and against the Geo Media Group—its foreign funding, particularly from India.
Nevertheless, TTP militants have been using suicide bombing as their main weapon against
their own country by calling suicide bombers-the followers of Islam. In this context, Imam-e-
Kaaba, Sheikh Abdul Rahman during his visit to Pakistan and during his Khateeb-e-Hajj had
clearly stated that suicide attacks are illegal (Haram). He explained, “Such acts fall under the
category of crime and suicide bombers or attackers are destined to go to Hell…they represent
enemy of Muslims and they commit crimes against humanity, while misguiding other Muslims.”
Denouncing terrorism as un-Islamic, he pointed out that terrorists’ activities are part of a
conspiracy to defame Islam and destroy Muslims.
Still, there is a need to highlight TTP’s “TAKFIRI” (Unbelievers) ideology and declaring
them as “KHAWARJI” (Out of Islam) by prominent religious scholars and intelligentsia. TTP
terrorists must not be addressed as “Maulana or “Maulvi.” While indicating their names, our
print and electronic media must mention them as “terrorists” or “rebels of the state.”
Combating terrorism is a case in point. For the purpose, PTV and other electronic TV channels
must be forbidden to air even a single minute interview or statements of terrorists. No nation
allows anti-state elements to present their distorted ideology as effectively as it happened in
Pakistan. This must be ended immediately.
Unfortunately, Budget 2014-15 shows that hardly any resources are earmarked for improving
capability of own law-enforcing and intelligence agencies. Instead, billions of rupees are
allocated for mega projects like METRO bus.
Nonetheless, today our nation stands at the crossroads of its destiny, facing multiple challenges
to the country. So, it is not the war of the armed forces and security agencies alone, because the
entire nation is at war which demands cooperation of every citizen and politician with the latter.
It is the right hour to stand united against all the foreign funded and foreign sponsored anti-
Pakistan forces like terrorism, Geo network, propaganda campaign of Aman Ki Asha, Hindutva
and Modi’s fundamentalist approach against Pakistan.
Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants,
Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations
