What's new

Paralysed state

GLOBAL HAWK

FULL MEMBER
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
264
Reaction score
0
Ahmed Rashid: Pakistan conspiracy theories stifle debate

Guest columnist Ahmed Rashid reports on how the real problems facing Pakistan are being sidelined by a surge of conspiracy theories.
Switch on any of the dozens of satellite news channels now available in Pakistan.
You will be bombarded with talk show hosts who are mostly obsessed with demonising the elected government, trying to convince viewers of global conspiracies against Pakistan led by India and the United States or insisting that the recent campaign of suicide bomb blasts around the country is being orchestrated by foreigners rather than local militants.
Viewers may well ask where is the passionate debate about the real issues that people face - the crumbling economy, joblessness, the rising cost of living, crime and the lack of investment in health and education or settling the long-running insurgency in Balochistan province.


The principal obsession is when and how President Asif Ali Zardari will be replaced or sacked


The answer is nowhere.
One notable channel which also owns newspapers has taken it upon itself to topple the elected government.
Another insists that it will never air anything that is sympathetic to India, while all of them bring on pundits - often retired hardline diplomats, bureaucrats or retired Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) officers who sport Taliban-style beards and give viewers loud, angry crash courses in anti-Westernism and anti-Indianism, thereby reinforcing views already held by many.
Collapse of confidence
Pakistan is going through a multi-dimensional series of crises and a collapse of public confidence in the state.
Suicide bombers strike almost daily and the economic meltdown just seems to get worse.
But this is rarely apparent in the media, bar a handful of liberal commentators who try and give a more balanced and intellectual understanding by pulling all the problems together.

The media debate 'misses real Pakistani life'
The explosion in TV channels in Urdu, English and regional languages has brought to the fore large numbers of largely untrained, semi-educated and unworldly TV talk show hosts and journalists who deem it necessary to win viewership at a time of an acute advertising crunch, by being more outrageous and sensational than the next channel.
On any given issue the public barely learns anything new nor is it presented with all sides of the argument.
Every talk show host seems to have his own agenda and his guests reflect that agenda rather than offer alternative policies.
Recently, one senior retired army officer claimed that Hakimullah Mehsud - the leader of the Pakistani Taliban which is fighting the army in South Waziristan and has killed hundreds in daily suicide bombings in the past five weeks - had been whisked to safety in a US helicopter to the American-run Bagram airbase in Afghanistan.
In other words the Pakistani Taliban are American stooges, even as the same pundits admit that US-fired drone missiles are targeting the Pakistani Taliban in Waziristan.
These are just the kind of blatantly contradictory and nut-case conspiracy theories that get enormous traction on TV channels and in the media - especially when voiced by such senior former officials.
The explosion in civil society and pro-democracy movements that brought the former military regime of President Pervez Musharraf to its knees over two years has become divided, dissipated and confused about its aims and intentions.

Troops and militants are fighting in South Waziristan
Even when such activists do appear on TV, their voices are drowned out by the conspiracy theorists who insist that every one of Pakistan's ills are there because of interference by the US, India, Israel and Afghanistan.
The army has not helped by constantly insisting that the vicious Pakistani Taliban campaign to topple the state and install an Islamic emirate is not a local campaign waged by dozens of extremist groups, some of whom were trained by the military in the 1990s, but the result of foreign conspiracies.
Economic crisis
Such statements by the military hardly do justice to the hundreds of young soldiers who are laying down their lives to fight the Taliban extremists.
Nor has the elected government of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) tried to alter the balance, as it is mired in ineffective governance and widespread corruption while failing to tackle the economic recession, that is admittedly partly beyond its control.
Moreover the PPP has no talking pundits, sympathetic talk show hosts or a half decent media management campaign to refute the lies and innuendo that much of the media is now spewing out.
At present, the principal obsession is when and how President Asif Ali Zardari will be replaced or sacked, although there is no apparent constitutional course available to get rid of him except for a military coup, which is unlikely.
The campaign waged by some politicians and parts of the media - with underlying pressure from the army - is all about trying to build public opinion to make Mr Zardari's tenure untenable.

Pakistan is caught in a spiral of violence
Nobody discusses the failure of the education system that is now turning out hundreds of suicide bombers, rather than doctors and engineers.
Or the collapsing and corrupt national health system that forces the poorest to seek expensive private medical treatment, or the explosion in crime or suicides by failed farmers and workers who have lost their jobs.
Pakistan cannot tackle its real problems unless the country's leaders - military and civilian - first admit that much of the present crisis is a result of long-standing mistakes, the lack of democracy, the failure to strengthen civic institutions and the lack of investment in public services like education, even as there continues to be a massive investment in nuclear weapons and the military.
Pakistan's crisis must first be acknowledged by officialdom and the media before solutions can be found.
The alternative is a continuation of the present paralysis where people are left confused, demoralised and angry.


Ahmed Rashid is the author of the best-selling book Taliban and, most recently, of Descent into Chaos: How the war against Islamic extremism is being lost in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Central Asia.


BBC News - Ahmed Rashid: Pakistan conspiracy theories stifle debate
 
This is exactly what many of the Indians have been pointing to in the recent posts... They have shut down their door and windows with their own house on fire... No positive development can come out if the people keep on raising fingers at every other country in the world who is trying to help the Afghan Pakistan region.
 
This is exactly what many of the Indians have been pointing to in the recent posts... They have shut down their door and windows with their own house on fire... No positive development can come out if the people keep on raising fingers at every other country in the world who is trying to help the Afghan Pakistan region.
Yes, and Indian media is a beacon of truth that shines brilliantly, right? This article raises certain valid issues, but, it doesn't reflect on how good a job our investigative reporters do sometimes. This article has been posted and debated elsewhere. Please search.
 
Quoting another peson:

Evidence of Indian backing for terrorism is a conspiracy theory. Presence of Blackwater in Pakistan is a conspiracy theory. Indian presence in Afghanistan is a conspiracy theory. American torture of prisoners is a conspiracy theory. American hostility towards Pakistan is a conspiracy theory. American killing of 2 million Muslims is a conspiracy theory.

What is absolutely true is that OBL sitting in a cave was planning to conquer the world. Mullah Omer is in Karachi. Osama lives in Islamabad under ISI protection. Iraq was about to launch a nuclear strike on America. etc.

___________

This journalist is just avoiding the point and going on a personal rant. He is a well known anti-Pakistan journalist probably in the hands of some foreign countries. He has a history of writing anti-Pakistan articles.

You think we are not doing anything about them? Think again. Yet these terrorists keep coming in and exploding bombs. So basically what you're saying is as long as bombs keep exploding, Pakistan is keeping its door shut, etc. Brilliant logic. These operations are also a part of keeping that door shut, isn't it?. Seems to me like a lose-lose situation.

What I am suggesting is that these indians are putting arguments forward to suggest that whatever happens, india cannot be involved. The army and police does something on a massive scale, but Pakistan is keeping the door shut and these guys continue to be strong. Essentially, to these guys, as long as the bomb blasts continue happening, Pakistan is keeping its door shut and is in denial. They do not think for a second that the fact that these guys continue to be strong despite being targetted in massive operations repeatedly means something more.

I would like Pakistani people to ignore these people's opinion.

We know the existance of indian involvement proof and we know that they are supplying logisitical and financial funding from insider sources. It's only a matter of time before this proof becomes public.
 
Last edited:
Quoting another peson:

Evidence of Indian backing for terrorism is a conspiracy theory. Presence of Blackwater in Pakistan is a conspiracy theory. Indian presence in Afghanistan is a conspiracy theory. American torture of prisoners is a conspiracy theory. American hostility towards Pakistan is a conspiracy theory. American killing of 2 million Muslims is a conspiracy theory.

What is absolutely true is that OBL sitting in a cave was planning to conquer the world. Mullah Omer is in Karachi. Osama lives in Islamabad under ISI protection. Iraq was about to launch a nuclear strike on America. etc.

___________
Pointless rant... no comments.

This journalist is just avoiding the point and going on a personal rant. He is a well known anti-Pakistan journalist probably in the hands of some foreign countries. He has a history of writing anti-Pakistan articles.

You think we are not doing anything about them? Think again. Yet these terrorists keep coming in and exploding bombs. So basically what you're saying is as long as bombs keep exploding, Pakistan is keeping its door shut, etc. Brilliant logic. These operations are also a part of keeping that door shut, isn't it?. Seems to me like a lose-lose situation.
Maybe you got carried away too much on the door shut analogy. I agree and personally support the current efforts to seriously step up against these activities within Pakistan. This effort was lacking for a long time and it was this inaction against the fundamentalists that India has been asking GoP to act against. It wasn't until these extremist groups started to kill innocent civilians on the streets and not unless it felt the international pressure that the army took action. Hopefully GoP will be able to take such proactive (and not reactive) steps in the future to ensure peace prevails in your homeland.

What I am suggesting is that these indians are putting arguments forward to suggest that whatever happens, india cannot be involved. The army and police does something on a massive scale, but Pakistan is keeping the door shut and these guys continue to be strong. Essentially, to these guys, as long as the bomb blasts continue happening, Pakistan is keeping its door shut and is in denial. They do not think for a second that the fact that these guys continue to be strong despite being targetted in massive operations repeatedly means something more.
Again, my same response applies in the earlier comment. By denial I refer to the general reaction that everything is being done by outsiders. If you strongly believe that India is sponsoring terrorism in your country, then please provide the proofs and let the international community decide.

I would like Pakistani people to ignore these people's opinion.

We know the existance of indian involvement proof and we know that they are supplying logisitical and financial funding from insider sources. It's only a matter of time before this proof becomes public.
Very convenient denial again... Only time will tell how the future will shape up.... hope it brings peace back to the region.

God Bless !!!
 
Pointless rant... no comments.
Because it is something true?

Maybe you got carried away too much on the door shut analogy. I agree and personally support the current efforts to seriously step up against these activities within Pakistan. This effort was lacking for a long time and it was this inaction against the fundamentalists that India has been asking GoP to act against. It wasn't until these extremist groups started to kill innocent civilians on the streets and not unless it felt the international pressure that the army took action. Hopefully GoP will be able to take such proactive (and not reactive) steps in the future to ensure peace prevails in your homeland.


Again, my same response applies in the earlier comment. By denial I refer to the general reaction that everything is being done by outsiders. If you strongly believe that India is sponsoring terrorism in your country, then please provide the proofs and let the international community decide.



Very convenient denial again... Only time will tell how the future will shape up.... hope it brings peace back to the region.

God Bless !!!


I actually don't care that much what indians have to say about this. The denial card is an old strategy by indians. I KNOW that the proof exists, and I am 100% confident about that. I have mentioned before why Pakistan government is hesitating about taking proof to UN or something.
 
Because it is something true?
No, because some are true and some are indeed fancy "conspiracy theories" until you have proof

I actually don't care that much what indians have to say about this. The denial card is an old strategy by indians. I KNOW that the proof exists, and I am 100% confident about that. I have mentioned before why Pakistan government is hesitating about taking proof to UN or something.
I don't care what you think or how much confident you are in your theories, but please substantiate it with credible proof. Why do you think GoP has been hesitant to provide the so called proof to the neutral international committee? What is a more appropriate moment than "now" to prevent its citizens being sitting ducks in front of the terrorists?
 
No, because some are true and some are indeed fancy "conspiracy theories" until you have proof
Meh, there's nothing wrong with suggesting a conspiracy theory as long as it has no loop holes. Nevertheless, it shows some hypocrisy.

I don't care what you think or how much confident you are in your theories, but please substantiate it with credible proof. Why do you think GoP has been hesitant to provide the so called proof to the neutral international committee? What is a more appropriate moment than "now" to prevent its citizens being sitting ducks in front of the terrorists?

It's not just theories dude. The proof exists. Now I have mentioned why GoP does not go public. It's not in US interests that Pakistan goes public with the proof and it pressures Pakistan to not do so. We have a drone government that is pretty much useless for any reasonable Pakistani. I know for a fact through insider ISI and army sources that indians are behind that and they themselves (they army) know very well who they are fighting and where these guys are getting their funding.
 
I believe we have one indian member who realizes the game that is going on.

People who think that each and every fact and event is given to the public by respective governments are seriously delusioned. "facts" are often fabricated, or not shown at all, or shown with important parts removed, or sometimes shown in different ways to influence public opinion.

A professor at the university here was describing a case of a man being falsely accused of terrorism and the evidence against him fabricated which was later exposed. This is in Canada, not some random country. Democracy is the biggest and most efficient way to fool the masses into thinking everything is right and everything being done is right.

States do amazing things (not always in good ways) to protect their interests.
 
Back
Top Bottom