A Deal with the Devil

The Government of Pakistan recently announced a truce with the Taliban in Swat in the Malakhand region of Pakistan which is merely three hours away from the city of Islamabad. Swat, known as the Switzerland of Pakistan, which presented the picture of serenity, wherein nature was its best without being blemished by human intervention, which used to be a paradise for honeymooners and also winter sports is now a haven for terrorism.

The Taliban which has been making significant progress in the region has now probably claimed their biggest victory till date since the time they were ousted from power in Afghanistan. What surprises me is the way the Government of Pakistan has caved in to this terror outfit and has actually negotiated a peace pact with them instead of trying to eliminate them completely or at least suppress them. What is even more surprising is the way the Government has gone on to distinguish Taliban as the good Taliban and bad Taliban. The group headed by Sufi Mohammed who fought against the Russians in the 70's and 80's under Osama Bin Laden and his estranged son-in-law Maulana Fazlullah is being called the "Good Taliban" and the group headed by Baitullah Mehsud who has been accused of master-minding the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is being called the "Bad Taliban." I am confused about a silly thing pertaining to this issue – Which of the two is the Height's of Stupidity – Brokering a Peace Deal with a Devil or differentiating the Devil as the good half and the bad half. The Government of Pakistan must know this – there is only one Taliban which is not fit for any kind of peace deals. Can anyone sign a "peace" deal with a person or people in this case who carry Kalashnikov rifles 24/7? Not to mention the posse of rocket launchers behind the leader. This development is not dangerous to Pakistan alone, but to the neighboring states of Afghanistan and India on the western and eastern borders of Pakistan respectively. The threat to India may not be imminent, but at the same time cannot be ruled out by any means. Afghanistan on the other hand has been fighting the Taliban from the Bajaur region on their side of the border. A much bigger threat posed by this dangerous situation is the fact that the Taliban plays host to Osama Bin Laden. And as long as the Taliban are allowed control of the Swat valley, the Zardari Government may also be guaranteeing Osama Bin Laden's safety.

The imposition of the Sharia law in the Taliban occupied region is another crime against society. The kinds of ban imposed on women in the name of the law can be called a social evil in itself – restricting women from leaving their houses without wearing a burqa and to be always accompanied by a male member of the family, restricting girls from going to schools, not allowing women to work is totally irrational and unacceptable. Why the gender bias? How can such restrictions help in the service of the Almighty? And the atrocities meted out against people especially women who defy the "fatwas" against immoral behavior are unimaginable. The public torture, deaths by public hanging or deaths by means of stoning the culprits actually exhibit the cowardice of the Taliban.

Courtesy - CNN IBN, URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFBsVbwBgLU

The deal with the Taliban which has been negotiated amidst media reports that the Government has paid a whopping $6 million, can only be rationalized as way sought to bring peace in the Swat region and temporarily halt the war against the Taliban which has till now claimed the lives of thousands of innocent civilians and brave soldiers and has also led to destruction of one of the most scenic spots of Pakistan. But even this does not answer the question as to how did the Government allow such unchecked growth of the Taliban that they could become as powerful as to form a Parallel Government.

Although the Government would want to regain power in the region without any bloodshed, I very much doubt such possibilities. Evacuation of the people in Swat was something that the government should have done before the Taliban gained control of the region. And this isn't a hostage situation for the Government to negotiate with the Taliban in exchange of the inhabitants of Swat. Personally, I am not for further negotiations with the Taliban as this only gives more bargaining power to the terrorists. The Government now needs to quickly come up with a plan to counter-attack and eliminate the Taliban completely – be it the good Taliban or the bad Taliban. This will however, result in civilian casualties again, but I would like to ask two questions –

1. Can we expect the Taliban to rule the land without actually killing people who stray away from the Sharia law or who can be daring enough to question their authority?


2. Can the Taliban be allowed to continue rule over the Swat region with no one to question them, which could even lead to their growth?

Courtesy: Sarabdaran [User - YouTube].

Please also visit: www.youtube.com/rawa77 for more videos on human rights disaster in Afghanistan due to the Taliban rule

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