A call for unity

Sir: PML-N chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, has shed light upon many pertinent issues recently. First, his point of not defining terrorism on ethnic lines is valid. A terrorist need not to be identified as Sindhi, Baloch, Punjabi or Pakhtun as this classification is utterly ridiculous. The term ‘Punjabi Taliban’ was coined to define the militants of outlawed sectarian outfits such as the Lashkar-e-Tayyaba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

There is no ambiguity on what the motives of these terrorists are as they seek to create rifts within the nation. In such turbulent times, it is imperative that we join hands to chalk out a counter-insurgency plan. Reservations by the chief minister of Punjab on intelligence sharing need to be considered as there have been loopholes in inter-agency communications. By improving the intelligence-sharing mechanism, many tragic events can be avoided.
SADIA HUSSAIN
Islamabad

Sorrowful attack

Sir: As an Indian who understands the pain of terrorism, my heart goes out to the worshippers who were killed and injured in the attack on the revered sufi shrine of Data Ganj Bakhsh in Lahore. It requires a mind of extraordinary cruelty to plan and execute such attacks on innocent civilians.

The Sharif brothers seem to continue living in denial. It is common knowledge that sectarianism and terrorism are simply two sides of the same coin. Many analysts have pointed out the presence of terrorists in Punjab but Shahbaz Sharif has always denied it. His government even hobnobbed with them by openly associating with the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba and Jamaat-ud-Dawa. Instead of confronting the terrorists head on, he decided to ‘appeal’ to them to not attack the province. The federal and provincial governments are at each other’s throats during this hour of great tragedy. As my observation in India shows, whenever politicians fight about whose mistake it was, the public can be sure that both sides made mistakes. Pakistan must realise that terrorism has nothing good or bad about it and that terrorists can never be ‘strategic assets’.
SUBRAMANYAM SRIDHARAN
Bangalore, India

TTP denial

Sir: This is in reference to the recent act of brazen violence at the Data Darbar and the subsequent denial by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of its involvement. I strongly caution the people not to believe the Taliban. Their claim that they do not attack public places is a white lie and a clear attempt to misguide the people. They have killed thousands of innocent Pakistani men, women and children in bombings all over the country. They have destroyed schools and attacked places of worship belonging to different religions. They are trying to fool and exploit the masses with their anti-US rhetoric by blaming it on Blackwater and others. Never has an American, British or Indian been caught in suicide bombings. It has always been members of either the Taliban or associated sectarian groups. The ideology that they subscribe to forbids them from going to shrines and that is why they have destroyed many in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. I urge the people to stand up against these extremists and help the government and the army eliminate them once and forever.
AMIN SHEERAZI
Abbottabad

The nation is sleeping

Sir: The Pakistan Army is fighting a full-fledged war against faceless enemies within its geographical boundaries on the western front. Pakistan is bleeding from within without any internal strife and is seeing bloodshed without any civil war.

In such a war-like situation, the nation is sleeping. There is no standing up and rising to the occasion by the people as we saw in 1965, 1971 and after the earthquake in 2005. At a time when inspiring the nation through words is much needed, everyone is inactive and in a deep slumber. The politicians, meanwhile, are concerned about scoring more political points and are engaged in the blame game, thereby creating further confusion.

In such times, the national media normally plays the most important role in inspiring the nation by airing patriotic songs and poetry. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Pakistan.
SYED SAYEF HUSSAIN
Karachi

What degree?

Sir: Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisani has said that “a degree is a degree whether it is authentic or fake”. Hats off to the honourable chief minister for his unmatched vision and academic acumen. A step forward in this direction will be to introduce a uniform policy in our educational institutions, whereas a choice should be given to each student at the time of admission to either go for a regular degree or a fake one. We are sure that in future, this policy, if implemented, will put an end to the controversy that is haunting our parliamentarians.
DR IRFAN ZAFAR
Islamabad

A great setback

Sir: The huge electricity shortfall throughout the country is not only a hindrance for foreign and local investment but also a cause of misery for the entire population. Raja Pervaiz Ashraf makes commitments before the media and gives deadlines for the end of load shedding but he retreats, regularly, from his words.

No doubt, the worst democracy is better than a good dictatorship, but the current rulers are trying to prove that they are giving us the worst democracy possible. This people’s government seems to only work for the betterment of their own lives, without working towards solving the problems of the masses. If this continues, society will be like a volcano ready to erupt and then our leaders will have nowhere to turn. However, it is still not too late. The government should realise the gravity of the situation and take steps to decrease the power shortage, inflation, ever-increasing prices of commodities and the general woes of the common man. They must do this before it is too late.
DR SALEEM RAZA LAGHARI
Via e-mail

In defence of faith

Sir: The news about an attack on a shrine of Mian Umar Baba in Chamkani floated in the newspapers. This is not the first time a shrine or holy place has been attacked by these demented terrorists who call themselves the defenders of Islam. In 2009, they carried out an attack on the shrine of great Pashto poet Rehman Baba. I believe that was not an assault on the shrine but an assault on the literature and legacy of the Pakhtun people. I am forced to think that these people want Pakistanis to accept their version of Islam and do not agree with the idea of “no compulsion” in religion. I am forced to call them terrorists, not defenders of the faith.
YASIR QADEER
Islamabad

Safe havens

Sir: Our colleges and universities are the picture of Mexican-style lawlessness after the recent murder of some students and the presence of gang wars on campus. The politics in educational institutions have paralysed education and deteriorated the law and order of urban centres. As a result, quality education has been wiped out from the state. Therefore, there is a dire need of legislation to ban political organisations from educational institutions. Otherwise, the present state of these institutions is perfect for providing ‘safe havens’ to these new age Taliban.