PAKISTAN - In the state of denial

By RAJINDER PURI

As Pakistan faces its moment of truth, its people remain in a state of denial. This could prove fatal.
As Pakistan faces its moment of truth, its people remain in a state of denial. This could prove fatal. From Musharraf to the man in the street there is refusal to acknowledge the truth. Pakistan’s role as the launching pad for global terrorism is accepted all over the world except inside Pakistan. The evidence of the Pakistani hand in the Mumbai terror is irrefutable. So where do we go from here?

America, Russia and Europe are united in criticizing Pakistan. Sooner rather than later joint international action will likely knock out terror camps inside Pakistan. With that the crisis will not end. It will begin. For Pakistanis the real problem is not terrorism. The real problem is Pakistan. It is an artificial State. It was created by imperialist Britain in pursuit of its global strategic interests. Along with its creation the Kashmir dispute was created. Thereby Britain ensured that India and Pakistan would remain apart. There is more than enough circumstantial evidence to indicate this. Books have been written on the subject.

Because Pakistan was an artificial state, democracy could not survive. Genuine democracy could have torn the nation apart. That is why the Army took control. That is why tension with India was kept alive by the Army to perpetuate its hold. That is why Pakistan to survive was forced into dangerous bargains with big powers. That is why Pakistan became the hub of international terrorism. That is why from being created as an artificial state, Pakistan might now even disappear as a failed state. But after six decades of independence, Pakistan deserves to survive. For survival, Pakistan must act.

Today the Pakistan army is committed to help NATO forces in Afghanistan. But the army has little heart in fighting the war because large sections of it were complicit in creating and sustaining the terror outfits that are being fought. Pakistan’s dilemma is that the civilian government cannot control the army. And the army cannot fight terrorists for fear of splitting its own ranks. If the army splits, which side will its chief General Kayani back? As former head of ISI, as former member of the Special Services Group (SSG) which most likely trains terrorists, and as a member of the Janjua community that has dominated the army since Pakistan’s independence, Kayani is one man who conceivably could take on the terrorists and yet keep the bulk of the army intact.

The question is, will he?