Surviving on Delusions

Shared by Tahir Mahmood

Despite the change of guards in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan is continuing to experience the consequences of its chronic misdiagnosis of terrorism.

Take Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. Its government, led by Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, has blocked the NATO supply route through the province in a bid to force Washington into calling off its drone attacks—on Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists—which it says result in the loss of innocent lives as collateral damage.

Few can protest against PTI because the rationale of its disruption of the supply route is based on an all-parties consensus in Pakistan against drone attacks. This consensus is based on yet another all-parties consensus tasking the Pakistani government with holding “peace” talks with the Taliban. Given the fact that 80 percent of Pakistanis, according to a recent survey, hate the United States, it appears as if Pakistan is set to pursue a Taliban-dictated change in its foreign policy. Another unavoidable perception is that, given Pakistan’s international isolation, the state is in the process of shifting its allegiance to the Taliban as legitimate rulers. The state survives on its robust delusion-dependency.

http://newsweekpakistan.com/surviving-on-delusions/

 

 

3 thoughts on “Surviving on Delusions

  1. This is an excellent submission by Tahir Mamood Saheb for discussion among TF Affiliates. Unfortunately, thanks to ISI, in my humble opinion, Pakistan,, has already crossed the point of no return in its secret policy of “Shivaji” style clandestine operations of training/funding/arming and propelling non-state ( but state-sponsored ) saboteurs in the Indian held Kashmir, Afghanistan, former Soviet republics and of late, one more startling place, which I’ll name in a minute, to create and promote public inclination for Sharia rule, under the caliphate of Mullah Omar. The startling new place added to the list of targeted countries is PAKISTAN herself. A good number of TTP operations of Shia massacres, Christian cleansing, Ahmedi holocaust, bombing of girls’ schools, burning of DVD stores, are backed by radical religious elements in the higher commissioned cadre of the Military and the leadership ranks of the ISI.
    iss ghar ko aag lug gaee ghar ke chiraagh se.
    I have no respect for the previous regimes of Nawaz Shareef and his outlandish gimmickry for fool-hardishly turning around the sinking ship of economy. However, I’ll go out of my way to support him in his current term, to firmly stand behind his policy of improving relationship with India. The unlikely event of his success, however little, in his endeavor to befriend India, will breath a new life in him and in Pakistan, to go for down-sizing the white elephant of an over-sized military that is robbing us of all future potential of economic growth. Judging from the historical conduct of ISI, I am almost convinced that ISI will not let it happen.

  2. What we forget while exposing Pakistan’s covert operations is that this is the game that every country plays. This world of international politics is like a jungle where there are no Red Ridding Hoods and in every grandma’s bed there is a wolf.
    Why go too far, why forget how Mukti Bahni was created and Pakistan divided. Look at America; Bay of Pigs, Chile and Nicaragua are a few to name to remember. Whole of Western Europe and other middle eastern countries created the monstrous Jihadis against USSR. Keep going back and remind yourself of Lawrence of Arabia and so on.
    Remind yourself the cold war and activities of CIA and KGB.
    In America these things get exposed after twenty years but our guys like Haqqani are playing at the hands of other powers and washing our dirty laundry in public. Its easy to put ISI on the spot and tarnish our armed forces but if you want to survive, learn it from Israel, how they covertly operate.
    I say the delusional are those who think this world is a utopia and the villains are only ISI or Pakistani generals.
    I wish Nawaz Sharif luck but the only chance of peace with India is if India knows that they will get paid in the same coin like at LOC. Diplomacy should be practiced but without any illusion or delusion that the other side is sincere.
    What great service Haqqani is doing by presenting Pakistan as rogue country and making fun of Nawaz Sharif’s intellect, nothing but causing embarrassment. Democracy is definitely better than dictatorship but while trying to make money writing books as a champion of democracy in exile, some patriotism should be displayed. There are black sheep in every family too but family sorts out troubles in private.

    Babar

    • An admonishment from Baber Saheb was both needed and timely. I for one admit my folly and stand corrected. However, I continue to think that Nawaz Shareef is not very bright, and ISI is the prodigal son who hasn’t returned home yet.

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