Fertilizing Grounds For ISIS In Pakistan!

The US President Barack Obama has just sent the Congress legislation a letter along with a draft asking to authorize military force against Islamic State fighters for the sake of defeating them. In his letter, Obama said that the IS posed a threat to the people and stability of Iraq, Syria and the broader Middle East and to U.S. national security. "I will not allow these terrorists to have a safe haven", said Obama.

Obama required the authority after the death of an American hostage in the custody of Islamic State. Kayla Mueller, a 26-year-old humanitarian worker, was the fourth American to die in the captivity of the Islamic State militants. Three other Americans had been previously beheaded by the IS terrorists. Although with these three killings of US hostages Obama had been feeling under pressure to revisit his strategy, the death of Mueller turned out to be the boiling point for him. "No matter how long it takes, the United States will find and bring to justice the terrorists who are responsible for Kayla's captivity and death," Obama made it clear. His request to the US congress came up when the Iraqi government seemed to be preparing for a major ground attack in near future.

Just before the death of the American captive girl, we saw beheadings of the two Japanese hostages Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto, both were kidnapped and killed by the Islamic State terrorists in cold blood. That time too the Japanese Prime Minister showed strong reaction of the deaths and called them “outrageous and unforgiveable”. “We will never give in to terrorism, and we will actively contribute to the peace and stability of the world together with the international community. We are not wavering at all on this policy”, he vowed. 
Amidst the Japanese hostage crisis, the long-captivated Jordanian airman also became victim of the same group. He was burnt alive by the militants. Jordan's King Abdullah II, swore to bomb the Islamic State until his military runs "out of fuel and bullets". He reacted so aggressively after seeing the video showing the captured Jordanian pilot being burned alive in a cage. The Jordanian jets stroke ISIS targets with missiles having the message: 'For you - the enemies of Islam'. Like their government, the citizens of Jordan too expressed their anger against ISIS. They came out on roads protesting over the group`s viciousness. According to a Jordanian, “Previously, there were some people who were supporting Islamic State. But, now they have turned against it as well to see all this.”

So, from the people of France to Americans and from the Japanese to the people of Jordan, all seem to be against the cruelty of the Islamic state militants. Even the African countries (under the African Union) have started giving tough time to Boko Haram in Nigeria. These things are indicating that the people around the world and their governments are on one page to target the religiously terrorist groups and their apologists.
However, unlike the outside world, there is an altogether opposite scenario prevailing in Pakistan. There has been clear division not only in the political and religious parties of the country, but also, consequently, in the public. Doubts about the intention of Pakistani military establishment regarding taking serious actions against Taliban groups, is on top of it.

Unfortunately, liberal and moderate parties, except MQM (Muttahida Qoumi Movement), have not spoken against Taliban as loudly as the apologists did in favor of Taliban. As a result, Taliban defenders have come into the position to influence not only the common people`s views, but also the State`s policy for rooting out the extremism from Pakistan. The gradually developing strong resistance against the 21^st Amendment (passed in the Parliament especially to ensure speedy trails of Taliban terrorists by forming military courts) is another example of the same.

More importantly, instead of creating consensus in people to fight Taliban, Pakistani political and religious parties (including PTI, JI, JUI-F and ANP) are trying to incite people against MQM. How strange it appears that, Imran Khan (the chief of PTI), who had always defended Taliban in the past and even demanded to let them establish their offices in the country, is pressurizing the government to take action against MQM`s chief Altaf Hussain who has been the only loudest and strongest voice against religious extremism in the country?

To tell the truth, if we eliminate MQM and Altaf Hussain from the Pakistani politics, we do not find any other leader or party which can speak and stand up against Taliban and the upcoming serious threats of ISIS in Pakistan.   

 

Therefore, in the situation where, as per the international media, about one third of Karachi is under Taliban`s control and also they are, like in the port city, present in Islamabad and can plan to attack the regime anytime, military establishment`s any move to weaken MQM by its political and ethnic rivals may turn Pakistan into another Iraq which will not benefit its people who have already lost over 60,000 loved ones at the hands of religious extremists.