Articles
Say a Christmas prayer for Pakistan’s Christians
Until the blasphemy laws are repealed, every year for Pakistan’s Christians will be hard. But this has been an especially frustrating year – frustrating for Asia Bibi and Younis Masih who will spend yet another Christmas in prison facing death for blasphemy – and frustrating because of the missed opportunity to end the endemic discrimination against Pakistan’s minorities.
Asia and Younis are in the midst of protracted appeal processes to overturn their death sentences, but in a country where extremists hold sway and even high profile figures can be killed for defending the innocent, the journey for justice can often be long and difficult. After yet another year of hearings and postponed hearings, there is still no clear conclusion for them. 2013 could be the year they are freed or it could be another year spent in prison. Worse still, it could be the year they are forced to face their deaths for supposed blasphemy.
2012 was the year in which Pakistan’s political leaders could have taken a firm stand for justice, not only for Asia and Younis, but for all minorities. When Rimsha Masih, a teenager with a low mental age, was arrested for blasphemy, the whole world was shocked. What was surprising for us as human rights advocates was the shock expressed by even Pakistan’s politicians and Islamic scholars. In a rare moment of revelation, the nation seemed to be on the same page. Radicalist behaviour was being widely condemned and the mood appeared open to the possibility of change. It was a golden moment that should have been seized upon to change the blasphemy laws and put a stop to the false accusations and misuse making life so hard for Pakistan’s minorities. However, the government busied itself with other things and allowed the moment to pass by. There has been no move to change Pakistan’s blasphemy laws this year. Will 2013 be another disappointing year?
When you attend you Christmas service, when you sit down with the family for your Christmas Day meal, when you retire to bed at the end of a hopefully enjoyable day, spare a thought and say a Christmas prayer for your brothers and sisters in Pakistan who long for the day when they can do the same without fear that the next will bring the end of their freedom or their lives.
Thank you once again for your continued support and God bless you this Christmas,
Blind to the suffering of our own?
Anyone who has been following CLAAS’ news will know that the lives of Pakistani Christians is being made hard – almost unbearable – because of intolerant hardline Muslims and the routine misuse of the blasphemy laws. It is easy – and right – to cry out against these injustices, and to cry out loudly. But I wonder if, perhaps, in the midst of our outrage and despair over the over persecution of Pakistani Christians, we lose sight of the role we may be playing in their distress.
Every year, Pakistani Christians arrive in the UK hoping against the odds that they will be granted asylum and the right, therewith, to live and worship in safety. Yet the sad reality is that many of those who scrimp and save every penny they can to get here find themselves turned away and shipped back no sooner than they had arrived.
It is not that their suffering is not genuine and it is not that they are any less worthy of asylum than those who are granted refuge in their stead. When they have put all of their life savings just into getting out of Pakistan, it’s not because they want a nice holiday. It is because they are desperate. Despite the sincerity of their suffering, however, they fail at the first hurdle because they do not have the resources and know-how to present a good case to the border agency.
I have been contacted directly by several Christians who have been denied asylum and are now being held in detention centres awaiting deportation. Their stories are all different but one thing they share in common is that they have suffered for their faith in Pakistan.
It is tragic that at the very moment the persecution against Christians in Pakistan is intensifying, they are being turned away from the UK and the other Western countries they turn to for refuge. The tragedy is felt all the more as so much of the persecution is related to a commonly held assumption among Muslims in Pakistan that Christians are allies and even co-conspirators with the West and are therefore somehow deserving of the mistreatment they receive.
It is natural that Pakistani Christians would look to Western countries, with their strong rhetoric on human rights, for help and support. When they do arrive in the UK, access to legal support is limited. For one thing, they do not have legal aid. For another, the lawyers who can assist them are often Muslims, making it hard for them to open up and share their stories – understandable given that those who are persecuting them back home are Muslims. Then there is the application process itself which can be daunting, particularly when the applicant does not have a strong grasp of the English language.
When their case is refused and they are put on the fast-track process, they are given a matter of days to prepare evidence for their appeal hearing. It is at this point that these desperate asylum seekers are being failed by their brothers and sisters already here in the UK. Some Pakistani Christians have been living in Britain for decades and yet have never felt any inclination to support those trying to flee Pakistan – to put into place the structures, people or resources that could offer Pakistani Christian asylum seekers a fighting chance of success.
Despite the fact that the church is the natural first port of call for Pakistani Christian asylum seekers arriving in the UK, a cursory look at the few Pakistani churches that there are here reveals a real dearth in resources. There are no advice centres, no legal advisers, no interpreters, and little to no financial help. Hardly a warm welcome in a foreign land.
It is not unreasonable to ask Pakistani Christians living in Britain to help their own, and it is also not beyond them to do this. If anything, it is the least they should do as fellow Christians called by Christ to feed His lambs and care for His flock.
Of course it is the church’s first duty to care for a person’s spiritual needs but that does not mean the church should neglect a person’s practical needs, particularly when help is not forthcoming from anywhere else.
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Mt 25.35 – 36)
The News International
June 8, 2011
Divided we fall
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said recently that relations between the US and Pakistan had reached a turning point after the killing of Osama bin Laden and that Pakistan needed to take “decisive” steps in the days ahead to fight terrorism.
As always, Pakistan is confused and divided on this and many other issues which need our urgent attention as we seek to take solid steps to resolve them. These issues have become a chronic disease but unfortunately, almost without realising, we have become involved in a blame-game and the rest of the world is looking at us amid increasing trust deficit.
Apart from America, concerns over our nuclear strategic assets have been expressed by NATO, Germany, France and the UK. We need to take significant steps not for the sake of the US but in our own national interest.
After the whole humiliation in the wake of Abbottabad incident, we are still divided and confused as we have been for the last six decades. Whether it’s a matter of Pakistan’s future or the Pakistanis themselves, it has always been difficult for us to move in the right direction.
We all know that some people opposed the idea of Pakistan. Our Quaid, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, once said democracy was in our marrow. The outline of his vision could help Pakistan succeed but, we have forgotten all the golden principles practice by our Quaid. We hardly have any real democracy in our country and still cannot decide whether we want to be a Islamic state with shariah laws or a modern democratic state as envisioned by our Quaid.
The hunger for power displayed by successive politicians and generals kept people bound under the yoke of martial law and military dictators for 30 years. Instead of strengthening democracy, many of our politicians were willing to support the dictators, either openly or in secret. If we had taken a decisive stand against martial laws and interference, we could have had a prosperous country with a strong democratic backbone in which we could pass any necessary legislation without hindrance.
Instead, we are confused and divided and consequently haven’t been able to decide whether the war against terrorism is ours to fight or not. Whichever way, the war is already being waged on Pakistani soil. In March 2008, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilliani said in his maiden speech that the war on terror “has become our war because it has posed serious threats to our own country”.
If the latest estimates are accurate, Pakistan has suffered losses of $68 billion, 35,000 civilians and over 5,000 security personnel have lost their lives. The people are being killed and our security and defence institutions are being attacked. This simply cannot be allowed to continue. Pakistan must put a stop to the spilling of blood on her own soil and not for anybody else’s sake, but for our own.
Like it or not, this has become our war and we should take the public in confidence and have an unambiguous and unbiased strategy towards eradicating terrorism from our land. We must not allow anybody to use our land for terrorism against any other country and especially against our own forces.
We are not where we should be, but it is not too late. We can still make a difference by adopting the right approach and redrafting our foreign and defence policies as well as internal policies with emphasis on our domestic security, keeping in view the need to maintain good relations with India. Economic policies can also be strengthened to build a prosperous and strong Pakistan.
Now is the time to take decisive steps in our relationship with the Taliban and Al-Qaida and to decide about our home grown extremist and Jihadist groups who are doing nothing but bringing a bad name to Islam and Pakistan.
We need to bring about a real democracy that will ensure Pakistan’s future and provide genuine equality. Quaid once said that religion should have nothing to do with the business of the state. Instead, what we see today is a Pakistan in which religion has penetrated in all veins of the business of the state. The military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq started a process to islamise the country and the country’s laws, introducing shariah laws, amending the law books and the constitution for the worse, and setting up shariah courts and Majlis e Shoora. The result was to erect a fort of Islam and cause further division in society while our Quaid’s vision receded into the mists of time.
So long as we stay on this path, we are heading towards destruction. Everybody is accusing us of training and giving sanctuary to terrorists and providing them with an excuse to violate our border security and attack our sovereignty.
The Quaid once said that Pakistan’s relations with India would be similar to its relations with the US and Canada but instead, we regard India as our number-one enemy. At present we are spending a large percentage of our budget on military and defence needs. We turn to America for aid and grants but America has its own vested interests; we must know nothing comes for free.
Today we have reached a critical point and our sovereignty is at stake. Our public is against us but so too are America and other western countries for not making our relationship with them clear. All the while, the media, and especially digital media, is playing a precarious roll in provoking public opinion against the government and the USA. The media considers itself the fourth pillar of the country but it should play a positive role, inviting the contributions of impartial, knowledgeable and courageous people who can speak the truth no matter how bitter, instead of simply seeking to increase their audiences.
There are longstanding unanswered questions that must be addressed if the country is to move in the right direction. The public has already lost its faith in politicians and now it is going to lose its trust in the military forces too. Even the army itself is concerned as extremism has penetrated its ranks. We have to decide who our real enemy is here. Is it India, America or extremism? Even if we believe that all three are our enemies, then we have to get our priorities straight now and find a way to deal with them without the need for war. The best way to dissolve these issues would be to negotiate with them to come to a peaceful resolution but the clock is ticking and we are running out of time. Pointing the accusing finger at government is easy, but helping them in these critical times is ultimately more useful for all concerned.
The writer is director of UK based Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement
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The News International
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The cries of minorities are crossing the border
Nasir Saeed
The issue of the blasphemy law is still making headlines in the national and international media and it seems that it is no more simply a local issue but has crossed over our borders and into the consciousness of the world’s religious and political leaders.
First, Pope Benedict XVIII asked the Government of Pakistan to change or repeal the law and release Asia Bibi. This was followed quickly by similar calls from Theresa May, the British home minister, and now even the European Union, representing 27 European states.
They do so out of deep concern that the blasphemy law is being misused on a regular basis and is a tool for radicals to persecute minorities. They are not unaware that the blasphemy law is as good as a licence for extremists to kill innocent people.
For years now, minorities have demanded a change to the law and yet the government has done nothing. Either it has no interest in the suffering of minorities or it is too scared of extremists to show any – I suspect the latter.
With the murder of Salmaan Taseer, the government has as good as conceded that change is impossible and decided not to even try after facing strong opposition by the religious political parties and groups, although it has formed a committee of religious leaders to calm down the situation.
The government should not be fearful of religious groups but instead use this opportunity wisely to bring about the change that is right.
The Government seems to be in a difficult situation. On the one hand they are facing internal pressure from the Deeni Ithehad (a bloc of religious groups) who are continually rallying against any changes to the blasphemy law. On the other hand, foreign pressure is slowly mounting for changes to occur.
The Pope has now in recent months twice asked the Pakistani Government to change the blasphemy law. In the past he has expressed his concern over the unfair treatment of Christians and as one who speaks for Christians worldwide, it is imperative that he continues to speak out.
He is not speaking simply about the plight of Pakistani Christians but the millions of Christians being persecuted worldwide and especially in Muslim countries. Christians are grateful but it has annoyed the Muslim world, especially Pakistani Muslims, and they are continuing to protest and organise rallies. They are asking the Pope to withdraw his statements but the Vatican has said they have no intention of changing their policy. The Vatican will continue to respond to the cries of the persecuted Christians and advocating for religious freedom in the Middle East too.
Stefan Muller, German parliamentarian, has also expressed his concern over Christian persecution in Muslim countries and has asked to reduce the grants given to those countries where Christians are being persecuted. In Britain, Theresa May has asked Pakistan to change the blasphemy law.
So far I have seen no reaction to these demands in the Pakistani media, while opposition leader, Ch Nisar has had no problem in gaining coverage for his strong condemnation of the European Union’s statement of the European Union asking Pakistan to amend the blasphemy law and release Aasia Bibi.
Ch Nisar is irritated by the murmurs coming from the EU and what he perceives to be the EU’s meddling in Pakistan’s internal affairs. It remains the case, however, that Pakistan is a strategic partner of the EU and has signed a third generation agreement with the EU, which obliges Pakistan to improve human rights. Unfortunately, Pakistan ranks third in the world for human rights violations, despite several European countries giving us money to improve our human rights record – that they are watching Pakistan closely should therefore be understandable if not desirable.
Pakistan wants access to the European market and last year met the EU to discuss this matter. The talks were inconclusive but have been rekindled by an event far beyond this government’s control. Whilst the floods caused havoc for millions of Pakistan’s poor, they have proved to be something of a lucky break for the government and rejuvenated talks on Pakistan’s access to Europe’s markets.
It will be interesting to see how our leaders proceed but they should know they are in no position to dictate the terms of business to the EU. Instead of trying to deal with our funders on our own terms, Pakistan should fulfil its obligations just as the governments of European states are duty-bound to their citizens.
The money they give to Pakistan is not theirs but the tax payers’ and European governments are accountable to their citizens. The European Union is not like Pakistan where ministers and politicians don’t pay any taxes and live a luxurious lifestyle at the expense of the public who largely live in deprivation. People are committing suicide because they have no money and selling their children because they cannot feed them, while children are selling themselves to support their parents.
Our rulers and politicians have foreign bank balances, offshore accounts and properties where nobody is even living but are still costing thousands of pounds to maintain, while ordinary people cannot even earn enough each day to meet their daily needs.
Ch Sahib ,for your information, this is not the first time that the EU has raised the issue of blasphemy, mistreatment of minorities, growing extremism and the issues of human rights violations in Pakistan. The European troika has raised all these issues in their regular demarches and the Government has neither stopped them nor considered it an interference in the past so why now?
Unfortunately, this is going to continue unless we become self reliant in all respects and minorities are treated fairly. Or should we just resort to disowning them, pushing them out of Pakistan, or forcing them to convert to Islam? Some would sadly be happy with any of these options.
After 63 years, minorities are still not equal citizens of Pakistan, despite their equality being guaranteed by the founder of Pakistan, Quaid El Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. We looked upon them with hate and discriminate against them in all walks of life. They have been crying out but we have never paid any attention and now their cries are reaching the ears of those outside Pakistan.
Some foreign aid is given to Pakistan just for minorities and human rights but these grants are hardly used for these purposes. But where our own government cannot protect them and provide security, God has his own plans.
It is the responsibility and duty of our government and politicians to look into the issue of the mistreatment of religious minorities carefully and use this opportunity to learn from their mistakes and eliminate foreign interference wherever possible, instead of being angry over the statements of the Pope and the EU.
The blasphemy law has not been changed, not for religious reasons but for political. If that is to be the case for the foreseeable future, at least the government must move to stop it from being misused. On that front, there is hope as most political and religious leaders seem to be willing to stop its misuse including.
Now the onus is on the government to make this happen. The government has formed a 10-member committee of religious leaders to look into this matter but I suggest that the government forms a larger committee comprising lawyers, religious leaders, scholars, politicians and minorities so that there is a rational and sober dialogue on the issue of the blasphemy law and reach some kind of consensus.
We have much larger and critical issues to resolve before the public use Tunisia’s example and we are left with no choice. Since everybody has agreed that this law is being misused, let’s start with introducing safeguards to this law so nobody can misuse it to settle their personal scores and nobody could use it as an excuse to interfere in our internal affairs.
The writer is director of the UK based Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and Settlement
http://www.pakistanchristianpost.com/viewarticles.php?editorialid=1228
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Time for a new resolution
Nasir Saeed
Earlier this month, Pakistan joined with the world in marking the 62nd international human rights day – a day which falls on the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is our hope that the importance and significance of this day was not lost on countries where human rights remain a distant dream.
On December 25, the whole Pakistani nation is going to mark Quaid-Azam Day, while Christians will be celebrating Christmas Day. Both occasions have their own importance but do we really understand their significance?
Somewhat predictably, Human Rights Day came and went without making any real difference to the lifeblood of Pakistan. Whilst some organisations held rallies and seminars to raise awareness about the day, the Pakistani government was noticeably mute - I am not aware of the government making any special effort to acknowledge the day with a statement or report about the present human rights situation in the country. Nor has the government given any indication of a review now or in the future aimed at increasing safeguards for human rights, particularly where these concern religious minorities.
Perhaps the government is satisfied with the human rights situation in Pakistan, but the rest of the world is not so and numerous corners have voiced their concern.
Just this month, Pakistan emerged third in the top ten worst countries in the world for human rights violations. The Human Rights Atlas 2011 by Maplecroft evaluated 196 countries according to their performance across 30 human rights categories, including civil and political rights. Pakistan was clearly so bad that it could only be outdone by the DR Congo in first place and Somalia in second.
The European Union Delegation to Pakistan has just launched its Local Strategy for Human Rights Defenders in Pakistan, which states that the “Government of Pakistan is obliged to provide protection to all its citizens, including human rights defenders in danger”. This entails reminding the government of its responsibilities and obligations.
We are all too aware of the difficult economic situation in Pakistan and how dependent the country is on foreign aid, not only when natural disasters strike but even when times are relatively stable. Some of the agreements that Pakistan has in place with American and European governments are linked to improvements in the area of human rights and rights for religious minorities. For example, Pakistan has signed a third generation agreement with the EU and under this agreement Pakistan is bound to improve the situation of human rights in the country. The UK has given a grant for education and for the welfare of minorities.
Recently the US State Department expressed its concern about religious freedom and the situation for religious minorities, while the European Troika – a group of foreign affairs representatives for the EU – has questioned Pakistan about religious extremism and the treatment of minorities in their regular demarches with the Pakistani government. The UN has raised similar concerns.
The Pakistani government seems to be deaf to the chorus of concern. Despite signing and ratifying several binding international protocols, it remains the case that the Pakistani government does not see public welfare as a very high priority. Every government and opposition has failed to play its role positively and instead proceeded to blame previous governments for any failings instead of making long-term policies to bring about real change for the country’s citizens. Is it any wonder that the situation continues to deteriorate?
Remarkably, Pakistani politician Liaqat Blouch had the audacity to accuse European states of not treating Muslims equally and violating their human rights – states that allow mosques to be built and Muslims to gather in Islamic worship. I doubt that Jamiat Islami and other radical Muslim groups like it believe in equality or human rights for all Pakistani citizens.
While Muslim MPs can be seen in the British Parliament, Pakistan has not a single elected person from a religious minority in the Senate or Parliament. There are a few minority parliamentarians on the reserve seats but the overall lack of minorities only serves to demonstrate the prevailing prejudice and bigotry towards religious minorities in the main parties.
We only have to look to our neighbour, India, where minorities ruled from 2000 to 2007, to see that religious minorities in high places are not a threat to security, integrity or the national economy. Its population of one billion has had no problem accepting Dr Abdul Kalam as their president, Manmohan Singh as their prime minister, or even the Catholic Sonia Ghandi as the ruling party’s head. And India’s economic strength, its and democracy and its international standing continue to grow. Despite the evidence supporting the full inclusion of minorities in the political hierarchy, the law in Pakistan remain such that the offices of president and prime minister must be held by a Muslim (article 41(2) and 91(3)) etc.
It is a travesty of justice that at the end of another year and another decade, the blasphemy law responsible for so much misery in the lives of Pakistani Christians, remains in place. It is also a shame that, unlike British Prime Minister David Cameron who invited Muslims to 10 Downing Street to celebrate Eid, the Pakistani High Commission and government makes no such effort to acknowledge its religious minorities.
The start of a new year is always a time of new plans and commitments. Can it also be a time when we make a new promise to Pakistan’s founding father Quaid E Azam, to follow in his footsteps and accomplish his vision of Pakistan?
I leave you with the words he spoke in his address to the first constituent assembly on August 11, 1947.
"You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the State."
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In Pakistan, human rights remain a distant dream
Nasir Saeed says the Pakistani government must repeal the blasphemy laws at the heart of many of the injustices committed against Christians in Pakistan.
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/in.pakistan.human.rights.remain.a.distant.dream/27223.htm
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How many more lost years? 23/03/2010
One quarter of the way into 2010 and it is fair to say that this is shaping up to be yet another year of hardship and injustice for Pakistan’s Christians, rather than the turning point we had all hoped for.
In the last month, three Christians have received lengthy prison sentences for blasphemy. Qamar David was given a life sentence after being found guilty of sending insulting text messages from his mobile phone in 2006, a charge he denied. Days later, husband and wife Ruqiya and Munir Masih were sentenced to 25 years in prison for supposedly desecrating the Koran, a ruling which, in a country with so little welfare provision, has effectively sentenced their six children to an uncertain future.
CLAAS firmly believes that Qamar, Ruqiya and Munir will one day be proved innocent and that the courts must acquit them. The question remains, however: will their accusers ever be questioned for bringing false charges against them? Who will return the years, months and days lost in jail and who will compensate these Christians for their wrong imprisonment?
It is a travesty that those who brought the false accusations against them will most likely never be brought to justice. Since the blasphemy law was introduced, no Christian has ever been proved guilty and charges have always eventually been dropped or guilty verdicts later overturned.
Despite assurances from Minorities Minister Shahbaz Batthi of government plans to review the blasphemy law, pressure from Muslims makes it unlikely that the law will be changed soon.
The government, the courts, and the police all know that blasphemy cases are made up by individuals for no other reason than to settle their personal vendettas and that in some cases the accusers have later admitted that this was their reason for levelling such charges.
The blasphemy law is widely misused and causing many problems for non-Muslims, especially Christians. Despite the condemnation of the international community, the Pakistani government has failed to take steps towards amending or repealing it.
The law of the land is supposed to protect and enhance the lives of a country’s citizens, not destroy them. The blasphemy law must either be substantially amended or abolished altogether if Christians and other minorities are to be able to live in peace in Pakistan, free from the fear that they may be sent to prison for the rest of their life or even executed for a crime they never committed.
The years lost in prison can never be repaid but ensuring that future generations never have to face the same fate is the least the government can do for its people. We still hope that the turning point for Pakistan’s Christians can come this year.
http://www.claas.org.uk/disp-page.aspx?pageid=35
www.birminghamtelegraph.co.uk/pdf/TBT%20400/0278-TBT-E01-S2-015-0330-CS.pdf
(London Edition)
June 8, 2011
Divided we fall
Nasir Saeed
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said recently that relations between the US and Pakistan had reached a turning point after the killing of Osama bin Laden and that Pakistan needed to take “decisive” steps in the days ahead to fight terrorism.
As always, Pakistan is confused and divided on this and many other issues which need our urgent attention as we seek to take solid steps to resolve them. These issues have become a chronic disease but unfortunately, almost without realising, we have become involved in a blame-game and the rest of the world is looking at us amid increasing trust deficit.
Apart from America, concerns over our nuclear strategic assets have been expressed by NATO, Germany, France and the UK. We need to take significant steps not for the sake of the US but in our own national interest.
After the whole humiliation in the wake of Abbottabad incident, we are still divided and confused as we have been for the last six decades. Whether it’s a matter of Pakistan’s future or the Pakistanis themselves, it has always been difficult for us to move in the right direction.
We all know that some people opposed the idea of Pakistan. Our Quaid, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, once said democracy was in our marrow. The outline of his vision could help Pakistan succeed but, we have forgotten all the golden principles practice by our Quaid. We hardly have any real democracy in our country and still cannot decide whether we want to be a Islamic state with shariah laws or a modern democratic state as envisioned by our Quaid.
The hunger for power displayed by successive politicians and generals kept people bound under the yoke of martial law and military dictators for 30 years. Instead of strengthening democracy, many of our politicians were willing to support the dictators, either openly or in secret. If we had taken a decisive stand against martial laws and interference, we could have had a prosperous country with a strong democratic backbone in which we could pass any necessary legislation without hindrance.
Instead, we are confused and divided and consequently haven’t been able to decide whether the war against terrorism is ours to fight or not. Whichever way, the war is already being waged on Pakistani soil. In March 2008, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilliani said in his maiden speech that the war on terror “has become our war because it has posed serious threats to our own country”.
If the latest estimates are accurate, Pakistan has suffered losses of $68 billion, 35,000 civilians and over 5,000 security personnel have lost their lives. The people are being killed and our security and defence institutions are being attacked. This simply cannot be allowed to continue. Pakistan must put a stop to the spilling of blood on her own soil and not for anybody else’s sake, but for our own.
Like it or not, this has become our war and we should take the public in confidence and have an unambiguous and unbiased strategy towards eradicating terrorism from our land. We must not allow anybody to use our land for terrorism against any other country and especially against our own forces.
We are not where we should be, but it is not too late. We can still make a difference by adopting the right approach and redrafting our foreign and defence policies as well as internal policies with emphasis on our domestic security, keeping in view the need to maintain good relations with India. Economic policies can also be strengthened to build a prosperous and strong Pakistan.
Now is the time to take decisive steps in our relationship with the Taliban and Al-Qaida and to decide about our home grown extremist and Jihadist groups who are doing nothing but bringing a bad name to Islam and Pakistan.
We need to bring about a real democracy that will ensure Pakistan’s future and provide genuine equality. Quaid once said that religion should have nothing to do with the business of the state. Instead, what we see today is a Pakistan in which religion has penetrated in all veins of the business of the state. The military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq started a process to islamise the country and the country’s laws, introducing shariah laws, amending the law books and the constitution for the worse, and setting up shariah courts and Majlis e Shoora. The result was to erect a fort of Islam and cause further division in society while our Quaid’s vision receded into the mists of time.
So long as we stay on this path, we are heading towards destruction. Everybody is accusing us of training and giving sanctuary to terrorists and providing them with an excuse to violate our border security and attack our sovereignty.
The Quaid once said that Pakistan’s relations with India would be similar to its relations with the US and Canada but instead, we regard India as our number-one enemy. At present we are spending a large percentage of our budget on military and defence needs. We turn to America for aid and grants but America has its own vested interests; we must know nothing comes for free.
Today we have reached a critical point and our sovereignty is at stake. Our public is against us but so too are America and other western countries for not making our relationship with them clear. All the while, the media, and especially digital media, is playing a precarious roll in provoking public opinion against the government and the USA. The media considers itself the fourth pillar of the country but it should play a positive role, inviting the contributions of impartial, knowledgeable and courageous people who can speak the truth no matter how bitter, instead of simply seeking to increase their audiences.
There are longstanding unanswered questions that must be addressed if the country is to move in the right direction. The public has already lost its faith in politicians and now it is going to lose its trust in the military forces too. Even the army itself is concerned as extremism has penetrated its ranks. We have to decide who our real enemy is here. Is it India, America or extremism? Even if we believe that all three are our enemies, then we have to get our priorities straight now and find a way to deal with them without the need for war. The best way to dissolve these issues would be to negotiate with them to come to a peaceful resolution but the clock is ticking and we are running out of time. Pointing the accusing finger at government is easy, but helping them in these critical times is ultimately more useful for all concerned.
The writer is director of UK based Centre for Legal Aid Assistance and settlement