Link:
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...-newspaper/editorial/21-a-free-hand-560-sk-03
A free hand? Dawn Editorial
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has every right to participate in a public rally because the Pakistani authorities, for whatever reason, have failed to prove his involvement in illegal activities. He heads the Jamaatud Dawa which is widely believed to be a front for the Lashkar-i-Taiba, a terrorist outfit that allegedly orchestrated the Mumbai attacks. But Mr Saeed enjoys a free hand in the absence of solid evidence, so much so that he and his supporters were part of a demonstration organised by religious parties in Lahore on Sunday. He railed against Israel, as did everyone else, but also suggested that suicide bombings were being deliberately staged in Pakistan to defame the cause of ‘jihad’. He claimed the country was under siege and more or less threatened an uprising, a revolution.
What is particularly worrying here is that Mr Saeed delivered his diatribe in the company of the leaders of mainstream religious parties. He was clearly invited to the event. Does this mean that our ulema at large subscribe to the views espoused by Mr Saeed? Do they share his radical views on jihad and an apparently positive take on the activities of the Taliban?
Hafiz Saeed has long been seen as an asset by sections of ‘the establishment’ because his agenda is India-centric. That may be changing though as diverse militant outfits across the country, and particularly in southern Punjab, band together under the umbrella of the Tehrik-i-Taliban. Organisations such as the Lashkar-i-Taiba and the various incarnations of the Taliban are a product of Pakistan’s flawed policy of strategic depth, which sought to gain influence in Afghanistan through proxy agents and carry out militant activities in Indian-held Kashmir. It was hoped that this approach would change with the realisation that the real enemy lies within, that we are fighting our own war to safeguard the social fabric of Pakistan. But has the use of proxy agents stopped altogether? It is unlikely that someone like Hafiz Saeed could strut his stuff as publicly as he did on Sunday without the acquiescence at least of the right quarters.
Pakistan’s international image took a further battering when a study conducted by the London School of Economics concluded that the Inter-Services Intelligence is funding and training the Afghan Taliban. The report has been termed “baseless” and “spurious” by government and army spokespersons, and it may well be so. Pakistan has every right to question the credibility of the study. Be that as it may, we cannot afford to be seen as playing a double game at this critical juncture in the fight against militancy. What is needed is a united front.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect...-newspaper/editorial/21-a-free-hand-560-sk-03
A free hand? Dawn Editorial
Hafiz Mohammad Saeed has every right to participate in a public rally because the Pakistani authorities, for whatever reason, have failed to prove his involvement in illegal activities. He heads the Jamaatud Dawa which is widely believed to be a front for the Lashkar-i-Taiba, a terrorist outfit that allegedly orchestrated the Mumbai attacks. But Mr Saeed enjoys a free hand in the absence of solid evidence, so much so that he and his supporters were part of a demonstration organised by religious parties in Lahore on Sunday. He railed against Israel, as did everyone else, but also suggested that suicide bombings were being deliberately staged in Pakistan to defame the cause of ‘jihad’. He claimed the country was under siege and more or less threatened an uprising, a revolution.
What is particularly worrying here is that Mr Saeed delivered his diatribe in the company of the leaders of mainstream religious parties. He was clearly invited to the event. Does this mean that our ulema at large subscribe to the views espoused by Mr Saeed? Do they share his radical views on jihad and an apparently positive take on the activities of the Taliban?
Hafiz Saeed has long been seen as an asset by sections of ‘the establishment’ because his agenda is India-centric. That may be changing though as diverse militant outfits across the country, and particularly in southern Punjab, band together under the umbrella of the Tehrik-i-Taliban. Organisations such as the Lashkar-i-Taiba and the various incarnations of the Taliban are a product of Pakistan’s flawed policy of strategic depth, which sought to gain influence in Afghanistan through proxy agents and carry out militant activities in Indian-held Kashmir. It was hoped that this approach would change with the realisation that the real enemy lies within, that we are fighting our own war to safeguard the social fabric of Pakistan. But has the use of proxy agents stopped altogether? It is unlikely that someone like Hafiz Saeed could strut his stuff as publicly as he did on Sunday without the acquiescence at least of the right quarters.
Pakistan’s international image took a further battering when a study conducted by the London School of Economics concluded that the Inter-Services Intelligence is funding and training the Afghan Taliban. The report has been termed “baseless” and “spurious” by government and army spokespersons, and it may well be so. Pakistan has every right to question the credibility of the study. Be that as it may, we cannot afford to be seen as playing a double game at this critical juncture in the fight against militancy. What is needed is a united front.
