Lull before Storm?

Amid yet another deadline set by the Tribal Jirga in Wana for the perceptible militants to capitulate, the overall horizons of the Waziristan agency seem faced with a sort of lull, which might eventually lead to a storm-“beyond one’s mind’s eye.

Such a scenario [for a time limit] was set off even past but the course did not yield any caring upshot and rather made the milieu still more irksome and vexing.

Analyzing with a pragmatic mind-set, such environ is likely to persist, if love is not tried in place of onslaught with odium. Obliteration of terrorism, in its’ all forms and manifestations, is of-course a perception, which would be backed by every patriot of an amiable realm-“like Pakistan. It is so, because of the raison d’être that the sanctified soils of this fabulous land have-“by n’ large-“been the target of this nuisance in the past, a setting which is getting amplified and swelling with the advent of every new dawn.

No-doubt an iron hand is a pre-requisite to deal with such a perilous environment, yet as a matter of fact, accomplishment of such an objective still remains a phantasm or a reverie albeit the use of might-“to every possible extent. This has neither helped cage a single ‘valued’ terrorist nor made a cluster of such hideous species evaporated except a problematic atmosphere for the naive and guiltless people-“with a result like, catch-22, virtually a no-win pose.

As is indexed in the recent history, thousands of troops backed by helicopter gunships and fighter jets launched a massive operation in parts of South Waziristan in the midst of reports that a senior Al-Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden’s right hand man Dr Ayman Al- Zawahiri, might be holed up in one of the areas. President Pervez Musharraf, in a television interview, also hinted that a ‘high value’ al-Qaeda target had been encircled near the border with Afghanistan.

Nonetheless, a follow-up story points out that a set of the al-Qaeda ‘aficionados’ might have escaped via a clandestine tunnel, prima facie plowed or hollowed-out from the mud-made fortress type spot-“a typical and traditional type of tribal abodes and dwellings.

Although no confirmation to this facet is, as yet on hand, the situation in Wana is getting out its’ jurisdiction engulfing even other vicinities like the awful happenings in Kurram agency, the North Waziristan, Peshawar [targeted by rockets] and of-late Sibi, where a hefty electricity tower was hit by secret hands, engulfing a vast area in Balochistan into total obscurity.

Virtually the fast shifting enlargements in Tribal Areas suggest that there might be some big news in the offing, which may befit and suit Washington-“yet certainly not to Pakistan.

No-doubt, Pakistan has aligned itself with the United States in the war against terrorism and this operation is part of the campaign to root out suspected elements caught up in such vicious acts. Yet there is-“simultaneously-“a consensus that no one can be allowed to carry out subversion in Pakistan or attack interests of other countries from this venerated soil.

Wana operation was set in motion with a goal to wash away one of the four allegations against Pakistan, as have, time and again, been elucidated by President Pervez Musharraf. That the Government sincerely tried to avoid any operation is borne out by the fact that the President himself made repeated offers to foreign militants to disarm and surrender.

An assurance was also given that in that case they would not be handed over to any foreign country. Similarly, tribal were also given warnings to cooperate with the authorities and hand over suspects.

However, after stoppage of its bid to seek necessary cooperation, an operation was set off to flush out militants. The way the operation took off did evoke criticism in the length and breadth of the country.

The issue was even agitated in the National Assembly where Opposition Members accused the Government of alienating tribes at the behest of the United States. They also apprehended that it will generate a complicated law and order problem in the times to come.

With this perception we are convinced that the crisis could have been sorted out in a nicer way obviating casualties of innocent people and personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Recapping the memoirs of the past, an aspect which surfaces is that those who are being phrased as foreign militants now are; in fact those who came to Pakistan at the juncture of Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. In many cases such elements got married and settled down in miscellaneous areas of the country especially in the NWFP.

It is also a fact that around four million illicit immigrants including those from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are still living in the country. Around two million Afghans exist in each and every corner of Pakistan and it is often nitpicked that they are one of the major causes of swelling crime rate and other socio-economic dilemmas.

The question arises whether Pakistan will take any action against them as well? Killing of meticulous people and injuring their ego is going to have far-reaching consequences and therefore, such a ‘choice’ is ought to be eschewed and must be avoided-“as a high priority topic.

An all-out crusade has been tried [may be it gets repeated] yet we have to keep in mind that there can’t be any-thing more robust and striking rather toxic than the love-“to win-over ones’ heart n’ soul. As the realities, not mere the fantasies stand witness that with fabulous gizmo of love, not to talk of a set of terrorists, even ’empire(s)’ were gifted as is cataloged in the manuscripts-“of old-age.

It would not be inapt to quote herein a stanza of Hafiz Sheerazi herein wherein he said:

‘Agr A’an Turk-e-Sheerazi Badast A’ard Dil-e-Ma Ra
Bakhal-e-Hindoish Bakhsham Samarqand-o-Bukhara Ra’

[If the darling (clichéd as Turk-e-Sheerazi) clutches my heart n’ soul (I win-over), (I am) all set to gift (in lieu thereof) Samarqand and Bukhara just for the sake of (a cute skewed black) mole on her (the beloved’s) face]

To add-on the vision and insight for the sweetheart, the great Persian poet of all-times voices:

‘Gar Dushnam Farmai, Wa Gar Nafr’en, Dua Go’aim
Zaban-e-Talkh Me Zaibad, Lab-o-La’al a Shakar Khaw Ra’

[If you (the love-one) abuse me (for my adore), and even if you abhor me (for my emotions vis-à-vis your beauty), I persist with prayer (for you); (the reason being) acerbic words (pragmatically) befit the beguiling (sweet) lips and lingo (the piquant style of expression)]

No one would like to see the current lull or silence in the tribal areas face any turbulence of a blustery storm; instead, every-one would be looking for a fancy of a fragrance of peace and serenity, breezing out of all dimensions.

So why not to affect this style-“at-least once and that too by engaging the MMA stalwarts, who are much-loved and much-adored with capacious admiration in the tribal belt? It is not a complex task. May be it [the MMA] prevails upon its’ devotees in the tribal areas to get this fuming sphere extinguished via a heart-to-heart ‘get in touch with’ or a sweet face-to-face contact.

Such a mode, if applied shall not only unveil the suspected ‘evils’ but the magnitude of sincerity and sympathy, being beamed, in and outside the Houses of the Parliament with enormous allure [for the tribesmen] by the religio-political alliance shall also come to light-“as clear as crystal.

We feel optimistic that the input by the MMA, if applied by setting aside narcissism and egocentricity shall yield a positive impact vis-à-vis the objectives which have been set by the government to weed out terrororism-“wherever it dwells in any silhouette, posing risks and perils to the humankind as the terrorists are least uptight with ones’ age or gender-“even towards a toddler to juvenile and above that the adults, who are falling prey of this peccadillo.