Pakistan: On a downward spiral
The Swat valley in Pakistan has been taken over by the Taliban who believe that they can run the country better than the government there. If the Taliban take over Pakistan, there will be mayhem and India must do all it can to gather international support to stop the Talibanisation of Pakistan. 6 months down the line, since the 26th November attacks, Pakistan is slowly but surely striving towards utter anarchy. This just proves that the previous governments by Musharraf and the present day Gilani are just not working. Even Nawaz Sharif has been stifled before he could do anything constructive in Pakistan. Â
The bizarre murder in broad daylight of the opposition leader Benazir Bhutto is a chilling tale on the way things are spiraling out of control in Pakistan. Where did the extremists in Pakistan come from? What led to them becoming so rampant and powerful? And how is it that the government over there is failing to control them? Working with terrorists is becoming routine in Pakistan. I wonder how their (the terrorists’) leaders justify their acts of violence and what makes them so chillingly cruel. The main points of contention in this argument are the Pakistani Army and the ISI. Both have been corrupted by the onslaught of the Taliban and other extremist groups. Instead of concentrating on education, female emancipation, industry, trade, privatization and development, the Pakistani government is struggling only to make amends with terrorist groups. The whole of Pakistan is swarming with such people and shockingly all this is happening only a few miles away from the Indian border! I wonder what the liberals and educated citizens of the country are doing. Or are they too afraid that they might be gunned down in case they do anything constructive and meaningful? Â
Unfortunately, the educated elite in Pakistan have no power as the Taliban and other militant groups hold sway over the entire functioning of the country. If the Taliban are not checked, they will spread their wings to other neighbouring countries like India, and according to the Indian army, many such suicide bombers keep infiltrating into Indian territory anyway. The alarming state of affairs in Pakistan calls for a larger debate in India as well. This is what happens in military dictatorships, and India must learn a lesson that democracy is the only way out. Â
Neha Singh
Â
