I still remember when the jihadi groups used to openly come for donations and everyone used to give to these crazy psychopaths. They still do it, but under disguise of charities now.

One of the most difficult things in science, economics, politics and even human relations is to understand causality. What action caused another? Did the cold weather lead to a person catching cold, or is it that people crowd around each other more, and are therefore more likely to pass on viruses to each other in the cold? It took science many hundreds of years to break this myth. That cold does not lead to catching a cold. Yet how many of us keep insisting and believing it?

The 67% of respondents who believe with all their hearts that its just the US actions in Afghanistan that lead to terrorism in Pakistan are perhaps too young to remember General Zia, and his systematic policy of Islamization, the importation of Wahabi culture into Pakistan, the invitation to the whole Arab world to send their “fighters” to Pakistan to fight the soviets. That’s where the character and nature of the tolerant Islam practiced by Pakistanis started to change. I remember living in Islamabad as a teenager at that time, and looking in amazement at Large land cruisers filled with Mujahideen zipping around town, with gun toting guards – something that was unusual for the time. Fast forward 25 years and those who cry for Lal masjid martyrs never ask the question: What were hundreds of guns, rocket launchers, grenades and militants doing in a house of worship? Is that the Islam we want? This is the fruit of the Zia era which is ripening now in every corner of Pakistan: guns, heroin, narco dollars, and extremist ideology – kill Shias, kill sufis, kill Qadianis, kill Christians.

Now, I know what many will say: America made us do it. America was fighting the soviets and created these monsters. True. But who was America’s willing partner? And when America left, who had the genius idea of using these jihadis against India in Kashmir? Who created the Taliban? It was our very own ISI, with the intention of ruling Afghans, in order to have strategic depth against India. So those who keep blaming Amreeka conveniently forget their own role. Regarding India, can I ask a gentle question (by the way I am a Pakistani with deep love for my country, with family members who are in the military and one cousin who as a lieutenant became paralyzed in the line of duty): Why is it that when we had these jihadis fighting in Kashmir, killing innocent Indians, we were all quite happy, but now that these people have turned their guns against us, we start crying India, India, the Indians are doing it! Weren’t we doing it just a short while ago? Neither was it right when we were doing it, nor is it right when it is being done against us.

By the way, on the last point, I’m sure certain elements in India take pleasure in the difficulties Pakistan is facing (remember just months ago, some Pakistanis were quite delighted when a tragedy like the Mumbai attack occurred), but by and large what we are facing is a home grown insurgency by extremist militants who were previously encouraged and supported by the Pakistani state but now feel betrayed and abandoned that we are not turning into an Islamic Emirate of Pakistan, and are not continuing to support them in Afghanistan and India (it is very much in our strategic interest to have peaceful relations on both our borders). But how can Jihadis who have grown up on their hatred for India accept this common sense course correction by Pakistan? No, they have said, if you don’t do things the way we like, impose Islam malakand style, and turn Pakistan into a stone age Afghanistan, we will take revenge on all Pakistanis. Do you think if the US leaves tomorrow, these wonderful Uzbeks and others will go back to farming tobacco or tending to goats? No, they are fired up by an extremist ideology which takes no hostages, and does not stop until stopped by force. After all, we made several peace deals in FATA and Swat. What happened? It boggles any sane person’s mind that many of us think that all of these Uzbeks and others are Indian agents. We invited them in. We trained them. We set up Madrassas for Afghan refugees’ children who have now grown up and turned into the Taliban. How quickly we forget.

Trace any attack happening in any part of the world, and you can source it back to Fata. So if we are fighting there, we are fighting for our own country, to take it back from invaders who wear an Islamic beard but do horrible things in Islam’s name. The reason I emphasize our responsibility is that unless we own up to it, we can never correct ourselves. Just blaming other countries and evil conspiracies against poor little Pakistan simply makes us seems like cry babies, and more importantly, dooms us to repeating the same mistakes. For example, after clearing Swat of militants, the government and the people of Pakistan should have made a massive effort to build schools, bring mobile judiciary branches to Mingora, hire thousands of locals as police, and provide business loans and start up funds and cash compensation to victims so that the people of Swat would feel happy and supported by the State. Instead, the poor citizens have been dumped back in their shelled out towns, without jobs, with their crops destroyed and schools burnt down. Do you think there’s a chance that the militants will return and that some people will start siding with them? We never learn, we never try to be proactive, instead we just react to the latest crisis and try to survive another day. Is that the fault of foreign evil forces? Is Amreeka telling us, “no, don’t go into Swat and improve the lives of people. Obama does not allow it” of course not. Its us, we have become a callous, uncaring society, with each one of us, just looking after themselves, only worried about today. The immediate problem in Swat is solved (for the moment), so let’s move on to the next show.

A brilliant writer wrote, its time to stop mopping and instead turn the tap off.

Final paragraph: (whew). I know the responses I will get: I will be called an Israeli agent, indian agent, psuedo liberal, etc etc. Please ask yourself the following questions before you start your tirades:

1. Pakistan’s terribly low literacy rate, when other countries in the region like Srilanka are near 90%. Is this also an Israeli sazish?

2. The electricity in the 10th most populous country in the world is not “on” for more than half the day, leading to the collapse of basic industries. Indian sazish or lack of planning and accountability at the top (Musharraf, Zardari, Nawaz, Benazir, all. You have to anticipate 15 years ahead and put up electricity plants so this problem is several decades old and is only manifesting itself now).

3. Judicial system completely dysfunctional: No justice, people hanged on false witnesses. Blind women in jail who have been raped but have been accused of Zana (how is the poor girl, supposed to bring 4 witnesses who will prove she is innocent?). Amreeki Sazish perhaps? Maybe the handiwork of Kerry-Lugar?

4. Number of patents issued to Pakistanis, number of articles published in international scientific journals, number of PhD students, number of global level multinational firms of Pakistani origin, close to zero, whereas number of bride burnings, mothers dying during child birth, gun violence and large scale corruption cases, close to world records. This also must be a global conspiracy against Pakistan, right?

5. Beggars on every street corner, hungry, naked, poor. Child labourers in every mechanic’s shop. Who is behind that? I hope you’re getting my point.

Mere humwatno, jago, ankhen kholo aur khudi ko buland karo jaise Iqbal ne kaha tha, or Sir syed ne koshish ki thi. This is the economic age, the internet age. Having a million soldiers and hundreds of Generals means nothing if you do not have education, civic sense and justice. Throughout history, those who have improved themselves and educated themselves, and looked ahead have climbed mountains and emerged as great nations (think of Japan after being bombed with nuclear weapons – it could have blamed the US for the rest of its life and remained poor and destitute, but chose to educate itself and overcome the odds).

Those nations that choose to just sit in their drawing rooms and point fingers and complain about their sovereignty (which by the way disappears when your entire economy is dependent on WB, IMF, USA and “friends of Pakistan” – after all, how much sovereignty does the beggar have who is knocking on your car window with a child on her shoulder?), those nations just vanish, like the Mughal kingdom, which declined from the four corners of India, to central India, then to Delhi, and then ultimately to the Red fort, where bahadur Shah Zafar lived on handouts.

May Allah have mercy on Pakistan, and give us the strength and vision to educate ourselves, invest in our people, love those who are from different sects and religions, and take responsibility for our own improvement – otherwise, the Lahore Fort will not be able to fit us all.

but we would not have been at this point if we ourselves wanted not to be.
Unfortunately we (by “WE” i mean our characterless leaders in particular and
the people of Pakistan in generel) are allowing USA to come and conquer us.

HUM KOEE NATION HAIN?????
HUM KESI “ZINDA KAUM” HAIN
this is my question
PLEASE THINK!

KIA HUM KOE KAUM HAIN BHI???

KOE NATION APNI MAA KO BAICH DETI HY?
KIA HUM NY AISA NAHI KIA?
PAKISTAN HAMARI MAA HY NA?
KIA HUM NY IS KA SAUDA NAHI KIA?
KIS KIS KA NAAM LOON?
KIA AAJ PAKISTAN K AKSER LOG NAHI JANTY
HAMARI “MADR E WATAN” KA KIA HASHER KER DIA GYA
MERA EEMAN HAY KEY AIK DIN HUM JEET JAYEN GY
LAIKAN JO KUCH BHI HUM NE KIA AUR KER RAHY HAIN
KIA PAKISTAN YEH DESERVE KERTA THA,
PAKSITAN KA TO MATLAB HI PAK LOGON KI ZAMEEN HY
PHIR YEH KIA HUA??

why to get angry with USA or India or blah blah blah
we did all damage by our own hands.

you can never become Pervaiz Kiyani or Shuja Pasha. you will not be recruit as peon in army. stop see dreams. kia mun, kia masoor ki daal
Huldi Lagay aur Phitkary par Rung ghaib! — ok.

======xxxxxx=====

No Not Ok – How can you say with assurance? — Its quiet possible may be right now I have been sitting at any Intelligence Agency or even from residence I have been deputed by any xyz agency & might be directly posting to you this mail directly from that particular Agency or on behalf of them as you do not know my Geography or even by putting some efforts you may get some success but you do not know what is my current association – past or present!!!????

Therefore, how can you be so Affirmative? – As you do not know even ABC of the aforementioned – Oh Jatiaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Oyeeeaaaaeeeeeeeeeee.

an inherently evil force existed pre 9/11. The events of 9/11 were merely a catalyst – and there is no guarantee our children or our children’s children wouldn’t be victims of terrorism.

Pakistan, with some measure of success, had domesticated a wild animal. (It can be argued that it was the best Pakistan could do given our resources). While it gave Pakistanis their peace of mind, it was always going to be a temporary solution.

so, my belief is, when someone suggests that our support of america is what brought this hell upon us..they are really just enlightening us on a timeline (and not a cause-effect relationship).

To further clarify:

It’s like stating “I started my economics degree when I was 19.” While that is true that I was 19, but being 19 is not the reason I studied economics at university.