Pakistan Happenings..Attacks In Autumn.

Pakistan Happenings..Attacks In Autumn.

Twenty four jawans and officers killed tragically in morning attacks on 25^th November, 2011 by NATO forces from across the border. The commander says it is being investigated. No submission of guilt or regrets . The female anchor Sana Buccha grills the commander again and again as to what punishment will be given if it was an individual act. The layman will be confused. How can the NATO US forces attack and kill so many in a Pakistan flag hoisted check post. The truth is too bitter to be discussed threadbare on Pakistan television channels.BBC World airs a documentary on 27^th which gives a clear perspective on what the UK/NATO/US forces think about Pakistan forces. I deduce  the result of what actually may have happened as my hunch was.

The BBC documentary showed that the British and US forces believed that after 2005 when the US attacked Iraq ,the Afghan insurgency got a boost and the Afghan Taleban started consolidating their forces by training, ammunition and increased suicide and other IED attacks. The generals openly said that all this was provided by Pakistani forces. This  same thing was also stated in another manner by Pakistan television experts commentators that every time the Haqqani  network attacks or bombs a target in Afghanistan, the US blames Pakistan. The last sentence in the program was that this support is being done to this day. They went as far to say that all the British troops that lost their lives were killed by this Pakistan support.

The border area is very porous and there is no clear demarcation. The US forces which form a large part of NATO have very sophisticated night vision equipment and other  gadgetry. They have very sophisticated command and control strategy even in hand to hand fighting situation. Their attack at this level cannot be a mistake. It seems deliberate and well planned. It was successfully executed. This happened because they actually believe at the local command level at that time that these check post personnel were helping the insurgents physically. This is the reason that they called in fighter planes and not just helicopters. This is the sad truth that  seems so obvious. The US pushing for eliminating the Haqqani network and Pakistan resisting any more operation against this wily group of militants. It seems Pakistan wants to have the cake and eat it too.

The immediate solution in Afghanistan is not possible. This friction will continue till 2014 when larger part of US forces will withdraw. The US wants to strengthen Kabul’s defense. This may not come to fruitition as planned as Taleban will continue to assert. They may succeed in strengthening their hold in larger areas again. The NATO forces want to clear the Eastern provinces to make the insurgency invalid or lessen its fatality in Pakistan areas in the near future.

What the US wants will not be really the solution in the near future. The Pakistan and Afghan Taleban are not separate and the solution adopted by the Pakistan army may be the most acceptable in the near future. Too much war has ravaged Afghanistan and it has now crippled the frontier region of Pakistan. Imran Khan is right when he says we must negotiate with the Pakistan Taleban and bring peace to the region. But not by lying down and giving up everything. We must negotiate in stronger terms asking for assurance of Pakistan government writ and also removing the Frontier regulation act and bringing Pakistan law in FATA. Imran Khan is wrong when he says this is not our war that we are fighting. We are definitely fighting our own war but peace must come to the region soon.

The future of this region depends on immediate end to hostilities and a return to negotiated peace. This is the only solution in  short term that may reach out for a larger peace in long term.