Voice from Waziristan

Oh ... so we find it is all about brainwashing (whatever that is), ISI, criminals, and US money. Good to know it's that simple. Surely that can be fixed.

when we went around dancing at the beat of “Dhol”. I think it would be a very long time till we are able to hear the beat of “dhol” and voices of joy again in those areas, if any at all.

Certainly you will, but you're correct not in those areas. However you will for sometime hear those at Data Darbar and Baba Shah Jamal for a bit more time. So meet your friend in Lahore.

Somehow this article smacks of elitist fascism, and of disrespect for others.

"smacks of elitist fascism, and of disrespect for others" yes the taliban are 100% fascist and disrespectful but elite ? i didnt know that :)

I am not sure kaal that any of this was elitest its not taliban vs just the elite (which is the charismatic version spread only on the internet) its taliban against anyone who isnt taliban. He is absolutely right ...i have family in quetta and its much the same story there except it is less violent ofcourse. Luckily most of my family had the good sense to leave many years ago..... but i remember as a child visiting quetta and going to peoples weddings .....there was not much dancing but a long of singing and mehndi and diyas what have you. From what i hear going to a wedding in quetta now is like visiting a morgue.
You and zee may not think thats improtant but its a metaphor for the way these dementors (harry potter reference) have destroyed everything and replaced it with ...what exactly ? what have they ever achieved besides oppressing women and institutionalising cruelty and illiteracy?

You are just the wrong person to discuss this subject with! Better be all prepared for your exams! :)

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Cliffs, one just hopes outsiders are not imposing their own values on people of the region, even if they believe those to be 'better' values...

From what one reads, people of the area really want sharia to be implemented fully (zee has written a few posts explaining some relevant history too).

Khalid

What is required now is the soul-searching by the people of Pakistan who used to looking at religion as a panacea. But this is what the people would never dare to do under the present milieu. When their very leaders assumed to be moderate and liberal like Benazir and Musharraf use religion as a political stunt how can you expect the people doing any soul-searching. Just see Benazir: While commenting on the recent bomb attack on her rally in Karachi, she says that no Musalman can do that, but then goes on to accuse some Muslim political leaders for the attack. And Musharraf goes on bragging off and on about the opening of the doors of Kahbah for him for six times. In fact the very identity of the Pakies is in crisis. In a country claimed to have been established on the basis of a faith the very faith of all its citizens has been made questionable.

Interestingly, there were times when the Pakhtoons had extreme nationalistic tendencies; so much so, that some of the Pakhtoon activists against One Unit during fifties would accuse Punjabies of using Islam for imposing their hegemony over entire Pakistan would openly threaten that they would relinquish Islam enmasse if their province was not restored. But today the position has somewhat been reversed. The same Pakhtoons today are using Islam as to threaten the very existence of Pakistan by making it the most dangerous country in the eyes of the world.

In the circumstances I would advise you to use ‘Imam Zamin’ and sacrifice black goats as many as you can afford as is being done by Benazir herself and by her ‘Jialas’ on her behalf.

Re: # 5

Sorry I have a correction to make:

Please read 'accusing' instead of 'accuse' at the end of the third line of para 2nd.

Thanks

These days everybody blames Al Quida for every ill of Pakistan. How is it possibele. I do not believe this exaggerated propaganda. I bet it is created , generated by Ameican, Indian and Zionist intelligence agencies.

Kamath

This is the really sad truth of today.

Pakistanis are at a loss as to what to do about this problem

God save the country from those that claim to represent God!

This is one of the most significant articles to appear on

CHOWK in quite a while. Thank you Khalid Bhatti Sahib.

First the cover of Newsweek and now this.

It will take a lot more than the Pakistan Army and helpless

Jiyalas to defeat this problem.

THis was predicted mr. Romair just few weeks back and people rediculed him. He correctly said "america is too strong and in they can not do any thing but they will hurt pakistanis as he is on ground." It is ironic he was considered fool and people rediculed. He suggested rightly do not actively oppose America but do not help her. Let them do whater they want. Then we can disengaged from American wars. THis has happened many times. In 1965 indian aggression and american arm embargo. 1971 india shamely invaded again usa china did do a dime. Afghan wars and we are left holding bags. As romair said before afghan war there were no suicide bombers or terrorists , army was never challenged, now little Leaders are having little lakshars, drugs and gun running. NOw it is even hard to think this gun and drug and terror culture will go away even after american exit. Time will only tell.
Hope people do not talk about and redicule person just because he has better understaning things on ground.
Thanks Mr. Romair putting things bluntly and not massaging facts to hit.

... A tale of three decades:

1979 - Russia invades Afghanistan. Afghan refugees head south and east to Pakistan. American support, money, training, and weapons are forthcoming. Mujahideen emerge; Jihadism is born.

2001 - America invades Afghanistan. Afghan refugees again head south and east to Pakistan tribal areas. Southern Afghanistan becomes war zone. Mujahideen morph overnight into terrorists.

2002 - 2005 Pak and American military action in the tribal areas. Jihadist/terrorists organize and mount resistance. Refugees move further south and east towards NWFP settled areas.

2005 - 2007 Further Pak-American military action in Waziristan and Bajaur. Jihadist/terrorists continue to retaliate. Move into Swat, Tank; cameo appearance in Bannu and D. I. Khan.

2007 - Pak determined to act in Waziristan and Swat. Jihadist/terrorists put on suicide bombing, kidnapping and beheading show. Resistance continues. Displacement of radicalized refugees further south and east into the NWFP.

2008 - Pak bombing missions in Peshawar and the rest of NWFP. Kidnappings, bombings, beheading continue. NWFP becomes war zone. Radicalized refugees head for attock.

... Pak militarty high command continues its deep meditation at the GHQ, eyes and minds wide shut. Other orifices, especially in the rear, working in overdrive.

Further into the future - Pak military action in Islamabad. Jihadist/terrorist head for the Punjabi heartland.
.
.
.

Jihadist/terrorists sighted in the outskirts of Karachi. Pak army in full retreat towards the Arabian Sea.

One honest man is worth a million ideologues. Pakistani media and its opinionmakers however free and independent cannot see beyond their ideological mindsets and hence no such narrative will appear there. It is refreshing to read such simple descriptions of ground reality, unconstrained by any need to uphold pre-determined conclusions.

Hello Khalid,
good to see you on F P

Your article reminds of exactly similar situatin in Pujab(east) during Khalistani terror in 80s when lot of people, majprity hindus had to leave there own houses and business particularly from border areas of Amritsar and Gurdaspur to haryana or delhi. Most of the recruits into the khalistani fold were young men with pencnant for arms and sensation seeking. Many were just antisocial elements and the so called ideology had hardly anything to do with what they were doing. There was another phenomenon noted towards the fag end of that period that many so calld khalistanis were actually made to do abductions and take huge ransoms by some police officers and when they refused, they were killed in false encounters.
Another similarity in such 'movements' accross nations seems to be that they are almost always concentrated in border areas.
Hope,this is a passing phase and people start living normal life again.

Re: # 11

"One honest man is worth a million ideologues. Pakistani media and its opinionmakers however free and independent cannot see beyond their ideological mindsets and hence no such narrative will appear there. It is refreshing to read such simple descriptions of ground reality, unconstrained by any need to uphold pre-determined conclusions."

Well said!!

Re: # 12

Dr. ji, hope you are fine.

I hope that your analogy holds true and that this is a passing phase and will end soon.

Touching story. Hope things improve for your friend and the people in Dera Ismail Khan

bhatti shaib, I am sure drlokraj means to be helpful, but one wouldn't make much progress believing that ideology has nothing to do with what people do.

IF anyone in Pakistan is interested in 'opposing' the implementation of Islamic sharia by waziristanis, they will have to engage the latter ideologically, and not just by force.

(When the fight is between Muslims and non-Muslims, ideological dialogue will be irrational, because no commonality of most important ideas is possible; but among Muslims, you can't avoid a discussion of ideology, of key ideas. Hope you see that.)