Dancing with the Taliban

[Solomon2]

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Dancing with the Taliban

Posted by Halima Mansoor

March 3, 2013

I feel like someone is about to sign my rights away as our politicos endorse negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Again. PHOTO: AFP

I am not a national security expert – I could not intelligently drop one relevant term if I wanted to. Thanks to my mother’s geographical coordinates when she gave birth, I have a green passport (for which I signed away the religious rights of over three million Pakistanis).

I feel like someone is about to sign my rights away as our politicos endorse negotiations with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Again.

On February 14, as the world celebrated One Billion Rising (OBR), marching and dancing in protest against women’s rights being violated, a room full of (mostly) men decided talks with a terrorist organisation were ‘first priority’ in the restoration of peace.

The same day, women in Afghanistan sedately participated in OBR, at the risk of engaging Afghan security officials armed to the teeth. That Afghanistan and the US would peddle away their fledgling freedom to the Afghan Taliban in a meeting in Doha was unfathomable for these Afghan women

I think allowing the TTP to bring their demands to the table is effectively signing off half of the country’s rights – the female half. I think cowering in front of men who feel threatened by a young girl seeking education is the weak way out - the short term fix.

When you legitimise one group of terrorists, in the next elections, the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) will not be the only banned outfit contesting the polls. We will lose the battle to the Taliban, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ), Lashkar-e-Islam (LI), Jamaatud Dawa (JuD), and any other group which I have not named or which will mushroom by 2018.

What will you do, Nawaz Sharif,when the radical right passes a legislation which makes it illegal for Maryam to leave the house on her own? What will we all do when a LeJ-spearheaded law declares our Shias non-muslims? Will you create a larger white margin on the flag?

The TTP brazenly take responsibility for assassinating Bashir Bilour, targeting Malala Yousufzai and a few days ago, were possibly behind blowing up four schools in Mohmand Agency. I cannot count how many schools they’ve destroyed over the past eight years. In Mohmand, that toll has already crossed the 100 mark.

The last time our right, left and centrist parties decided presenting our rights on a platter to the Taliban was a viable route to ‘peace’, 19 people died in militant attacks in the stretch between Bannu and Orkazai Agency.

So it would come as no surprise when the Taliban spox Ehsanullah Ehsan rejected our interior minister’s demand that a ceasefire should precede these ‘peace talks.’

They want ‘sincere’ religious men as guarantors – enter the religious right and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). I doubt these parties actually want the Taliban’s version of the Shariah, but in times of general elections, who would not want some militant might in their corner?

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) almost marched to the lion’s den to court the Taliban. How could anyone negotiate from a position of weakness with men hell bent on depriving everyone of their hard-earned freedom?

Maybe the idea is – push them back ‘up north’. Let the Malalas there be deprived of education, and the women lashed for speaking loudly in the marketplace. Let their economy go to a darker hell.

My guess is that the government and the military have lost control over their proxy ‘warriors’; it’s not a very educated theory. I’ve already established I am no expert. But when I see our politicians run around like headless chickens, with the military seemingly stretched thin, these negotiations seem nought more than desperate applications of a topical balm.

The All Party Conference’s (APC) declaration on Thursday might be an emasculated attempt to let the terrorists and electorate see some movement and interpret it as action.

Just look at a picture of those who attended these talks – mostly males and those with means to protect themselves with bullet-proof cars and guards siphoned from the security apparatus meant to protect you and me.

Let me assure you, no one will stand up against radical, extremist groups once they are sitting in our parliament. No one will stand up against Malik Ishaq whose witnesses tend to expire prior to the best-before date.

You and I, the women, we will not even be second-class citizens as we stand today. We will be chattel, livestock with household duties. Your naked feet will be guilty of provoking lust in ‘mere men’.

And the ‘minorities’ – their fates were sealed when they were confined to the margins of our flag (a shade darker than Islamic Green) by our great founding fathers. Presently, when Imran Khan condemns the LeJ as enemies of Islam after sectarian violence, he pegs it as a crime because it is anti-Islamic.

The way things are going, the day will come when the likes of the TTP, LeJ will be our ‘lawmakers’ and their narrow interpretation of ‘Muslim’ will be enshrined in the Shariah.

How will our state heads and party leaders make ‘brave’ statements against the murder of the Hazaras or blowing up girls’ schools when their ‘this-is-against-Islam’ leg would have been amputated?

That is what APCs, print or electronic coverage of abhorrent extremists guilty of mass murder, and “mainstreaming” terrorists will bring us as we shy away from “an all-out full-spectrum war” against the machinations of cancerous, rancorous extremism.

Read more by Halima here or follow her on Twitter @Hmansoor

 

[tarrar]

These incompetent & corrupt politicians who are Anti Pakistani & Anti Pak Army wants to strengthen the broken rented TTP by negotiating with them & giving them time to reinforce.

These corrupt & incompetent politicians are enemy of Pakistan.

 

[Awesome]

Depends on how the talks are conducted. I would not trust PPP to hold the talks, but it PTI did it, I would support it.

 

[Spring Onion]

no TALKS. EVERYONE IS JUST PLATYING SAFE.

there are No such talks going on

 

[Zarvan]

Depends on how the talks are conducted. I would not trust PPP to hold the talks, but it PTI did it, I would support it.

We will have to talk to them these people have always fought Super Powers of their time the new joke which now often told in Afghanistan is one old man was talking to an American Journalist and he said look man we destroyed Britain we took out USSR and USA is also running away and than he says I have heard next super power is China we will have to talk to them what Imran Khan and others need to do is get Ulemas like Mufti Rafi Usmani and Mufti Taqi Usmani and some people in DPC and other great Ulemas get involved and solve the matter

no TALKS. EVERYONE IS JUST PLATYING SAFE.

there are No such talks going on

Sir for past one year your Army is trying to talk to them Sir they have made some small deals with them too Sir

 

[Spring Onion]

Sir for past one year your Army is trying to talk to them Sir they have made some small deals with them too Sir

Sir my army nabbed many of TTP terrorists and your court had released them.

My army has not made any deall with TTP

 

[UmarJustice]

Spring is right. Army is not interested in a deal unless they stop these attacks and then talk. They have failed to do that.

Army is killing them every day at their home bases.

It is the politicians and court that is releasing the terrorists.

 

[doppelganger]

Spring, Zarvan, are not both of you Pakistani? Then what is this my, your? Do the army and the courts belong to different countries or people?

 

[Armstrong]

Sir my army nabbed many of TTP terrorists and your court had released them.

My army has not made any deall with TTP

Pakhair Ragleiii !

Whats the mood across the Pukhtoon belt about :

(a) the Army

(b) the TTP

(c) the Peace Deal

 

[Zarvan]

Sir my army nabbed many of TTP terrorists and your court had released them.

My army has not made any deall with TTP

Keep on living in dream world but the reality is Army is trying to talk to Taliban for past one year Sir but you want to live in fools paradise your choice

 

[batmannow]

Depends on how the talks are conducted. I would not trust PPP to hold the talks, but it PTI did it, I would support it.

Yes its PTI the mandate of god?
Wht mulana IK does its, right ?
Wht others do its sin?
Come on , its IK, its NS, its QAZI,its FAZLU, who calls & supports talibans & even some of them got attacked?
Terrorism should be finished by fighting, not by talking?
Srilanka has set , great example & shouldbe followed !

Keep on living in dream world but the reality is Army is trying to talk to Taliban for past one year Sir but you want to live in fools paradise your choice

Wait for the day when ganja sharif gets slaughtred by,taliban then sure you will find some solution or, shabaz will become another zardari?lol

 

[Zarvan]

Yes its PTI the mandate of god?
Wht mulana IK does its, right ?
Wht others do its sin?
Come on , its IK, its NS, its QAZI,its FAZLU, who calls & supports talibans & even some of them got attacked?
Terrorism should be finished by fighting, not by talking?
Srilanka has set , great example & shouldbe followed !


Wait for the day when ganja sharif gets slaughtred by,taliban then sure you will find some solution or, shabaz will become another zardari?lol

Sir the problem is what happened to these political parties just before elections when they don't have any mandate are now talking of Taliban when Imran was saying this for decade Sir open your eyes they are buying time nothing else let the new government come and they should do the talks and other line you said wast just crap and nothing else

Yes its PTI the mandate of god?
Wht mulana IK does its, right ?
Wht others do its sin?
Come on , its IK, its NS, its QAZI,its FAZLU, who calls & supports talibans & even some of them got attacked?
Terrorism should be finished by fighting, not by talking?
Srilanka has set , great example & shouldbe followed !


Wait for the day when ganja sharif gets slaughtred by,taliban then sure you will find some solution or, shabaz will become another zardari?lol

Sri Lanka is completely different than us first read that secondly Sri Lanka is one example Sir in more than 90 % cases talks have solved problems and other 10 Police not Armies

 

[Ayush]

personally,i dont think talks is the way to go forward.who knows what they will ask in bargain??sharia law??

 

[Mian H Amin.]

General Mam,
i read your article, somehow more or less i agree with what you wrote.
while reading it i was expecting that you would also CONDEMN dialogue between America, UK ,Nato and Talibans. but you didnt said a word about it. i have few points lemi raise them.
1) Pakistani taliban control no city, they are on run and hiding somewhere in south or north waziristan. while in Afghanistan they control as per american figures around 40% of country. So its clear who is more dangerous.
2) I am not a supporter of having dialogues with taliban in Pakistan, but we have seen that in afghanistan Nato with all its super power has failed to Talibans. so we are of no comparison with nato's military hardware.

 

[Awesome]

We will have to talk to them these people have always fought Super Powers of their time the new joke which now often told in Afghanistan is one old man was talking to an American Journalist and he said look man we destroyed Britain we took out USSR and USA is also running away and than he says I have heard next super power is China we will have to talk to them what Imran Khan and others need to do is get Ulemas like Mufti Rafi Usmani and Mufti Taqi Usmani and some people in DPC and other great Ulemas get involved and solve the matter

TTP are NOT the people who have fought superpowers. They are just criminals, drug lords, rapists. There are somethings that can't be forgiven.