Will The Taliban “Bastards” Represent Pakistani Muslims?

While giving a formal briefing to the Pakistani media over the tragedy of Bacha Khan University, the DG Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), Asim Bajwa got so aggressive against the terrorists involved in the Bacha Khan University attack that he used the word “Bastards” for them in anger. According to the media reports, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has already claimed responsibility of the attack.

It is an open secret that TTP has been involved in terrorist attacks in Pakistan in which about 70,000 Pakistanis have lost their lives no matter they were in their homes, offices, markets or in their religious places. These were the same monsters which not only slaughtered 23 army (FC) men, but even played football with their heads. But, the Army Public School tragedy was the worst cruelty of its nature in which at least 130 innocent children were killed in cold blood.

Keeping in view the genocide of Pakistanis by TTP, DG ISPR Asim Bajwa seems to be justified for branding these evils as “Bastards”.

We know that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in most of the cases, not only claimed responsibility of its ill-deeds, but also sometimes released footages and videos as evidence of the same, which cleared all doubts about their involvement in the terrorism in the country. However, despite all these undeniable facts, there always remained an obvious difference of opinion about taking a stern action against them. Many prominently religious & political leaders, media-men as well as defense and political analysts supported Taliban calling them “Our disgruntled Pakistani Muslim brothers”. They even defended the TTP`s suicide attacks by terming them as “retaliation” of US drone attacks. From PML-N to PTI and from Jamate-e-Islami to Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), all always opposed a military action against the radical groups and urged to negotiate with them unconditionally. That dispute delayed the military operation against Taliban which, in turn, increased the number of dead bodies the common Pakistanis had been receiving day by day.

It is also important to recall that for the negotiations with TTP, these were not the Indian or Afghan leaders who came to bargain with the state of Pakistan on behalf of the Bastards (Taliban), but the Pakistani Muslims leaders. Similarly, it was the Pakistani federal interior minister who, through a formal press conference, strongly condemned the death of Hakeem Ullah Mehsud (the head/Ameer of “Bastards”) who got killed in a US drone attack. But, not a single time the people of Pakistan saw Choudhry Nisar expressing his similar grief over the tragedies of APS and Bach Khan University caused by TTP.

PTI`s Imran Khan too contributed his solidarity with Taliban by demanding to let them establish their offices in the country. However, JI`s Munawwar Hassan and JUI-F`s Moulana Fazal-ur-Rehman left every one behind in this course when they declared Taliban “bastards” as “Shaheed” (martyrs). Many Pakistani Muslim students are still trying to know how “bastards” can be declared martyrs in the light of the Islamic teachings.

The Nizam-e-Adl Regulation Act of 2009 is also a stigma on the face of the political and military leadership of Pakistan. All the political and religious parties (except MQM, which strongly opposed it) approved the Act indirectly giving Swat & Malakand`s control to Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi (TNSM), a banned outfit headed by Sufi Muhamamd who was also a pro-Taliban cleric. Iftekhar Muhammad Choudhry, the most powerful chief justice of relatively an “independent” judiciary (Supreme Court), took no suomoto notice of such a controversial law and also “digested” the Sharia Courts (set up only for Swat & Malakand) which were different from the kind of judicial system working all over the country. It would not be wrong to say that the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation Act was a kind of surrender before a pro-“bastard” (TTP) group in 2009.

During 2013`s polls too, these were the same Taliban terrorists who not only instructed the people of Pakistan to vote for the right wing parties, but also practically played a vital role in helping the favorite parties defeat their rivals in the elections. However, none of the beneficiaries (including PML-N, PTI, JI and JUI-F) has ever been ashamed of having come into power with the assistance of these “bastards”.

Taking into account these facts, is it not shame on the religious, political and military leadership of the country for considering “bastards” (Taliban) as “Our Muslim brothers”, “Pakistan`s Strategic Assets”, “Students of Islamic teachings” and also “Shaheed” when dead? Question is, can we expect any positive outcomes when “bastards” are projected as religious leaders of Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

In fact, this was the same vicious policy/strategy whose negative consequences we, as a nation, are facing now. Unless all the state authorities (political and military) regret their blunders and honestly decide to rectify them, the lives of common Pakistanis will keep being at risk like this. Will they revisit their policies or not, the upcoming time will let the people know. But, if the nation keeps facing similar bloodshed in the days to come, the state of Pakistan would come under great danger.