Talks and Ceasefire

Talks and ceasefire

It is not just talking to the enemy that makes these negotiations controversial. It is about to talking to those who consider themselves  more powerful than the state and its security apparatus built to secure the nation against such aggressors. We have been talking but we have been killed right, left and centre. It is as if nothing is working. It is just the Taliban holding sway over the country. The government of Pakistan on the other hand, deferential as usual following every attack, announces a temporary suspension of talks unless the Taliban stop their attack.  But hardly a day passes by without registering an attack. With the latest terrorist episode wherein 23 FC soldiers were heinously beheaded and allowed to rot on the roadside talks have been silenced, and not just for a while but until the Taliban give up killing. The Mullah community sitting on the fence is certainly hopeful about the resumption of talks and have asked the government to develop a keener understanding of the mensal state of the Taliban. The Taliban claim the soldiers have been killing in retaliation. The Taliban blames the security forces for killing their people in custody. Prior to this the killing of police officers in Karachi was also claimed by the Taliban to have been carried out to avenge the killing of women, children and others from the Taliban by the security forces in the war – torn areas, especially Peshawar and FATA . every attack if owned by the Taliban is now attributed to a reaction to an action of the government that had rubbed the Taliban the wrong way. So far the pattern of attacks has been consistent however the pattern of taking responsibility for the attacks has not. Operating in the country now every time a new Taliban group is claimed to be messing with the state. It is another story if the government in its attempt to get false relief thinks that those talking to it are not directly involved. This is the old mythology once again of bad Taliban. Following the gruesome killing of the FC soldiers the government of Pakistan  apparently wearing a stern face has said to the Taliban to either follow the ceasefire option or forget about the talks. The Taliban have made  innumerable promises to stop the war, especially when the talks are in progress. every promise has been broken unabashedly. The Taliban’s tactics are obvious and speak for themselves. If only the government were to open its eyes and see the glaringly obvious truth. They have used the talks as camouflage before as well to regroup and regain strength. The time buying formula had been used ever since with the Afghanistan cauldron coming to a new pass, and their brethren set to get an imminent position of strength there.

At last the government of Pakistan has failed to read the pulse of the times accurately. No one suggests that talks should be forsaken completely. Negotiations have always been used simultaneously with fighting to eventually seal peace deals. The prerequisite for such an outcome through is the intelligent use of force, wherever and whenever required.

One hopes the meeting between the PM and the army chief of Pakistan has taken full measure of the situation especially when the other side is so determined not to hold back.