Re: Pakistan kills 80 Islamic Madrassa Students
I could not understand that why some people in Pakistan (and many on this forum) think/believe that if there are people living and training in tribal areas but not fighting Pakistani forces rather fighting forces in Afghanistan, they are no threat to Pakistan.
Actually, they are serious threat as they are provoking (and attacking) another country (Afghanistan) using Pakistan as their base (and safe heaven).
There are three things to think.
** 1:** If these tribal are interfering in Afghanistan affairs, are they doing with the consent of Pakistan government?
Answer is NO.
If the answer is No, then Pakistan should try to do whatever they can to stop them and if they are using arms against Pakistan forces, they deserve elimination (killed).
** 2:** Even if Pakistan consent was neutral (that it is not), then also, question is that, the forces these tribal are fighting (USA and NATO), is Pakistan ready to fight those forces if they attack Pakistan?
Answer is NO.
Thus, as the answer is ‘no’, then what Pakistan should do? As doing nothing means attack by those forces these tribal are fighting. This attack by those forces (USA and NATO) would be bombing Pakistan plus sanctions on Pakistan (that can cripple Pakistan economy as well as would make Pakistan weak militarily).
[Note: Pakistan has strong military but that strength is comparative to local forces, not forces like USA and NATO. Actually, most of Pakistan military equipments are American or Europeans (Pakistan depends on America and NATO countries militarily) and the country Pakistan exports most is USA. Next come Japan and NATO countries are also not far behind (thus Pakistan depends on USA and NATO economically too)].
** 3:** Thus, if Pakistan is not willing to fight the forces (USA and NATO) these tribal are fighting and neither wants heavy bombing and sanctions on Pakistan, Pakistan has two choices:
** A:** Stop these tribal fighting in Afghanistan from using Pakistani territory (as they are compromising the security of Pakistan). There are two ways to do that (whatever is possible):
*** A1:*** Most preferable way would be to tell these tribal to stay within the law of the country, do not interfere in Afghanistan and do not give refuge to those Afghans that are fighting in Afghanistan. There should be no cross border illegal crossing.
Pakistan tried the above unsuccessfully. It seems that these tribal think that they can do whatever they like and Pakistan has no right to stop them. Thus, these people, who have no respect for laws of the land they live, do not understand the language of laws. Thus, option ‘A1’ is out of door.
*** A2:*** Second method is to use Pakistan army to stop them and that is what Pakistan is doing. These people are resisting and in consequence, they are killing Pakistan army personals and Pakistan army is killing them. It is not extra judicial killing because both side are armed and killing each other. Where Army is killing to safeguard Pakistan and Pakistan interest, these miscreants are killing army to compromise security of Pakistan.
B: Well, other then trying to stop these tribal using law or force, Pakistan also has second choice. That is, tell USA and NATO forces in Afghanistan that Pakistan cannot control them and thus, Pakistan would not object if American and NATO forces do whatever they want in Pakistani territory these tribal are using, to destroy these tribal that are fighting them.
Second option (B) means that American and NATO forces bomb the area freely and Pakistan do not come forward to defend Pakistani territories. That would be disastrous for many peaceful Pakistanis living in tribal areas as many will get killed due to indiscriminate bombing by USA and NATO, for no reason.
Letting USA and NATO to bomb these tribal wanting to fight, in Pakistani territories, would also mean, Pakistan army not defending Pakistan sovereignty that they should and that would be sad (politically and morally).
If tribal fighting in Afghanistan would prefer that Pakistan army should not fight them, they should stop infiltrating into Afghanistan from Pakistan and lay their arms, or they leave Pakistani territories and do whatever they want from somewhere in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, what they want to do is that, they want to launch all attacks from Pakistan and want that USA and NATO do not come to haunt them in Pakistan nor Pakistan army should haunt them, but that option is not available.
They think that it is same as when Mujahadeen were fighting Russia, without realising that at that time, USA was fully behind Pakistan and at present, there is no one behind Pakistan. Thus, if USA (and NATO) attacks Pakistan, Pakistan has to defend itself on their own, and Pakistan does not want that, nor Pakistan is prepare for that.
The example of above scenario that Pakistan is facing is that of a man living next to a strongman: That man (Pakistan government) has few kids (tribal taliban) living in his house (Pakistan) that throw stones in the house of strongman (USA, NATO in Afghanistan). Strongman comes and tells the man (Pak govt) that to either control the kids or he would enter the house and would break kids jaw. This man knows that he cannot stop the strongman, as strongman is too strong for him. Thus, to stop the kids throwing stone, this man tells the kids not to throw the stone (obey the law), but if kids do not listen (as tribal taliban do not want to listen), he can beat them up.
Other option is to let the strongman do what ever he would like (that is bomb the whole of tribal area using aerial bombing, and later send people from Afghanistan into Pakistan tribal area to clean the mess).
[Note: Certainly, when it comes to controlling uncontrollable area within Pakistan, like tribal areas, where population of armed miscreants (law-breakers) willing to kill law-enforcers (army and others), are mixed with innocent civilians, there is no doubt that innocent casualties would happen.
Regardless, as options exists with Pakistan, whatever happening in tribal area is for safety and security of Pakistan and for best interest of tribal innocents too. Pakistan is not prepared to go to war with USA and NATO for Afghanistan or for tribal Taliban that wants free hand in Pakistan to keep launching attacks on Afghanistan from Pakistan [as that can bring attack (or operation) from USA and NATO on Pakistan tribal area].
Other option is worse and that is, to let USA and NATO operate unchecked in the tribal areas and if they want to, do as much aerial bombing as they like, killing many innocents Pakistanis. Further, USA and NATO may also send people loyal to them in Pakistan, under their supervision and in cover of aerial bombing to sort things up in tribal Pakistan, while Pakistan keep looking other way (and thus that option is worse)].