Morning:
8°c
My country is bleeding to death
Nadira Naipaul6 Mar 2009
It is heart breaking and it augurs the twilight of a nation.
I am mourning the loss of Pakistan's pastoral mountain "state" of Swat with its fair, gentle people. Pakistan's continuous dalliance with Islamists, the machinations of politicians and the greed and strategic intrigue of its army have delivered these peaceful people into the hands of the vermin-like Taliban, whose flinty hearts match the stony terrain they descended from.
The shame of it. It is a challenge to and very possibly the end to the constitution of Pakistan. At best it is a consequence of the apathy and operational paralysis of the Pakistani army. At worst it is the harbinger of a future in which the Islamists and our "national" army, which brokered the deal with the black-turbaned Taliban, will spread their tentacles through the rest of the country.
How did we get here? Years ago the Taliban warlord and commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar predicted this event, quivering with rage when he was ordered to leave Pakistan.
I was then a journalist covering these events and sensed his desperation. He had sent thousands to their deaths, for a jihad funded by the US, and was now trapped like a rat, along with rival mujahideen groups now fighting each other for power in Afghanistan.
"Pakistan has played the whore," he said on his expulsion. "It took the money while we gave our blood. We rid Afghanistan of the Russians and one day we will descend from the mountains and put you right."
Used to the ravings of egotistical generals and deranged politicians, I dismissed his threat. The evil has, a decade or so later, seeped over the mountains and infested Pakistan. Their carefully chosen target this time was the Sri Lankan cricket team.
I got the news while sitting in the forests of Gabon, Africa, and began to pray that this atrocity is some internal Sri Lankan affair with Tamil terrorists taking revenge on the national team for their recent losses. But the immaculately planned and executed attack, in which eight people died and seven members of the team were injured, demonstrates that what remains of civil society has lost the battle. It may be only a matter of time till the black-turbaned menace will pour on to the plains and make us another Iran.
I have been away from the country for 13 years but I can see that we asked for it. There is no end to the corruption of Pakistan's political parties, both the PPP and the Muslim League. The former promises a secular agenda, while appeasing the Turbanators. The latter promises civil rule with the veneer of Islam: religion for the masses and rich pickings for the party leaders and their camp-followers.
And the army has never had its hand far from the levers of power and profit. It is the other leg of our one-legged democracy. After 11 years of the dictatorship of General Zia which enriched the corps' commanders and their favourites, while promising the masses riches in heaven, the army will not relinquish its access to wealth.
The Nawaz Sharif government that succeeded was a mere changing of the guard. His family were greedy if petty industrialists. Under his watch the Islamic element grew. His government passed the infamous blasphemy law, which can still be used as a death warrant on any dissident. Mrs Bhutto Buggins'-turned her way back to power and then we had the merry-go-round of the return of Sharif and the last coup by General Musharraf. For the first time the people of Pakistan welcomed the military coup. They wanted a rule of law which the "democrats" had eroded. The corruption and nepotism of all the political parties had defeated the very idea of a nation. Some even questioned whether democracy was alien to us and ought to be suspended till we were ready for it. In a largely illiterate population votes are bought, traded and meaningless.
General Musharraf appointed nephews to sensitive positions and fell into the way of all dictators, demanding sycophancy above truth.
Musharraf became willy-nilly the guardian of the army's industrial empire. The army had become and is today a huge business mafia. It, and its officers and ex-officers, owns the cement factories, spices and fertilisers; it bakes bread and makes cheese.
The army is forced by operational paralysis to negotiate with the Taliban, and has handed over Swat to these thugs to administer according to the Sharia, letting them bomb and burn schools to stop, at first, girls being educated and now to prevent all modern education in their territory.
The assault on the Sri Lankan team in the heart of our greatest city, the fact that none of the assailants, who had rifles, grenades and rocket launchers, have been apprehended, has demonstrated to the world that our government is a trussed rather than a lame duck.
Reader views (4)
Crocodile tears...
- Anup, India, 13/03/2009 10:24
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We all know this is happening since the Madarsas are opened and promoted by General, Zia Ul Haq, the Taleban in Afghanistan was promoted by Gulf financially and manpower wise, the soviet American war left man weapons on the streets in Afghanistan, with Iran Iraq war, Arab-Isreal war, only spark needed was grabbed by Osama and the West and world were sitting and watching the drama until it happened to them in Sep 01, like the did it before in Pearl Harbour.
What the youth of Afghanistan and pakistan do
when what all they have got is Guns, drugs and osama's education.
There should be a long term strategy of 10 to 20 years in education, employment and empowerment. When the politicians are corrupt and short minded, west has only time to bomb them or finance them than to bother about the reconstruction of the nations, the place will bleed on and on occassions when opportunities arise will bleed others like sep 01, July 05, Nov 08.
- Sk, london, uk, 08/03/2009 10:49
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This is a metaphor for what many feel is happening to this country, although so far in a less violent way.
- Helen, norwich, 06/03/2009 16:39
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So tragic! While not violently, but still sad to say, my country is now changin, too. Thank you for this revealing article.
- Liz, scottsdale, usa, 06/03/2009 16:38
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