Conspiracy theories are abound on the notion of involving the army in Karachi's bloody game to quell the incessant violence. Apart from the opponents and proponents of the demand to introduce khakis in Karachi's bloody game, some conspiracy theorists oppose it because they fear that could put the military in a mire and may lead to international forces to intervene and make the metropolis a city of their desire!
Interestingly, the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that had been staunch opponents and victims of the army operations - overtly or covertly - in civilian populations, desperately demand khakis to take over Karachi.
The two parties must have seen a magical wand in the hands of General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani that can instantly make the city a haven and destroy the hovering evil.
It gives an impression of a football match where sides have been changed for the competing teams in second half of the game. The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has been blamed for encouraging the military on several occasions in the past to settle civilian unrests.
Critics blame the PPP for siding with dictators Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan and played catalyst to get Pakistan rid of its eastern wing. Peoples Party leadership sent soldiers to the hills of Balochistan and only take a lesson when a monster called Zia-ul-Haq put its leader ZA Bhutto in a body bag to his sizzling native town Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
President Zardari's ruling party now explicitly dismisses the demand of its allies to get the army involved to quell Karachi violence.
For critics who take the PPP's reluctance by utter surprise seem to have a weak memory. It was Nawaz Sharif and not Benazir Bhutto who had ordered for a military operation in Karachi mainly against the MQM.
Benazir had rather used the police to bring peace in the troubled town by assigning her macho minister Naseerullah Baabar to take over the proceedings.
The wisdom behind using police to restore civilian order was not as complicated as Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Signifantly, that happened following army's latest failure -- for obvious reasons of course. Soldiers are trained to combat along the borders, consider the rival as a condemned enemy and moving in formations and fronts.
That training bears no fruit when a soldier sees himself stuck up with the "enemies" around living in houses established in congested and dark alleys and bylanes. There are no fronts, no formations, no "strategic depth" and little intelligence. The most disheartening fact for soldiers is that their 'enemies' are not willing to combat in the manner they have been taught of. A hit-and-run guerilla technic is something that has always frightened the armies. It prolongs a war, frustrates the professional soldiers, consumes their skills and tools and fatigues them to the core.
Pakistani army's defeats and retreats in Bangladesh, Balochistan, Khairpur Nathanshah and Karachi manifest the notion that a civilian unrest could only be quelled through civilian means and discourse.
Like PPP, Nawaz Sharif is opposed to the military take over of Karachi showing he has learnt a lesson as well, with his misadventure in the country's largest city and economic engine. But, interestingly, on one side Chaudhry Nisar, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, is equally opposed to the military campaign, the PML-N leaders like Khawaja Asif and Mehtab Abbasi -- both are committed televengalists -- have ensured Kamran Khan, a civilian representing GHQ on Geo News, that they would convince Nawaz to support military in Sindh capital.
Who wants the army to make a second stunt in Karachi? The MQM, the ANP, a section of business community, particularly the ones who rhyme with dominant political party in the city, and a band of anchorpersons of filthy private TV channels who are influencing their agenda on people, whose majority is apolitical, just desiring peace to make a safe living.
As Imran Khan still swings in between, the Jamaat-e-Islami finds a shift in its earlier stance and now endorses the stance of Nawaz Sharif and JUI's Fazlur Rehman - not to send the army.
The question arises whom the anchorpersons represent who are dying to see the thunder of boots on Karachi streets. The loyalties of the TV anchors - popularly known as members of the Taliban Union of Journalists - is unquestionably clear. Their mindset is clearly in marked contrast to the secular MQM and ANP.
So, a common demand from the Taliban anchors and liberal political parties to invite armed forces in Karachi has done wonders to shrug off many ambiguities inside many. The riddle is solved and anyone can see who controls the puppet show.
The corps commanders' 'concern' over the events in Karachi is not a distant past. So is the statemnt of the army chief showing his will to step in if the civilian government asked for it. The hue and cry spewing from TV screens is visibly something to rake the government over the coals and force it request the GHQ to enter the scene.
Saner voices like that of Asma Jehangir were in a minority when she had opposed to bring peace through the long boots, but interestingly, her supporters are on the rise now after PML-N openly opposed an army operation.
Let's see whether the Supreme Court brings peace in Karachi. Surely, taking cognizance of the killings by the Chief Justice has already booked his place on the front pages of newspapers.Thursday, December 22, 2011
Liberal parties, Taliban anchors on the same page!
Conspiracy theories are abound on the notion of involving the army in Karachi's bloody game to quell the incessant violence. Apart from the opponents and proponents of the demand to introduce khakis in Karachi's bloody game, some conspiracy theorists oppose it because they fear that could put the military in a mire and may lead to international forces to intervene and make the metropolis a city of their desire!
Interestingly, the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) that had been staunch opponents and victims of the army operations - overtly or covertly - in civilian populations, desperately demand khakis to take over Karachi.
The two parties must have seen a magical wand in the hands of General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani that can instantly make the city a haven and destroy the hovering evil.
It gives an impression of a football match where sides have been changed for the competing teams in second half of the game. The ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has been blamed for encouraging the military on several occasions in the past to settle civilian unrests.
Critics blame the PPP for siding with dictators Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan and played catalyst to get Pakistan rid of its eastern wing. Peoples Party leadership sent soldiers to the hills of Balochistan and only take a lesson when a monster called Zia-ul-Haq put its leader ZA Bhutto in a body bag to his sizzling native town Garhi Khuda Bakhsh.
President Zardari's ruling party now explicitly dismisses the demand of its allies to get the army involved to quell Karachi violence.
For critics who take the PPP's reluctance by utter surprise seem to have a weak memory. It was Nawaz Sharif and not Benazir Bhutto who had ordered for a military operation in Karachi mainly against the MQM.
Benazir had rather used the police to bring peace in the troubled town by assigning her macho minister Naseerullah Baabar to take over the proceedings.
The wisdom behind using police to restore civilian order was not as complicated as Einstein's Theory of Relativity. Signifantly, that happened following army's latest failure -- for obvious reasons of course. Soldiers are trained to combat along the borders, consider the rival as a condemned enemy and moving in formations and fronts.
That training bears no fruit when a soldier sees himself stuck up with the "enemies" around living in houses established in congested and dark alleys and bylanes. There are no fronts, no formations, no "strategic depth" and little intelligence. The most disheartening fact for soldiers is that their 'enemies' are not willing to combat in the manner they have been taught of. A hit-and-run guerilla technic is something that has always frightened the armies. It prolongs a war, frustrates the professional soldiers, consumes their skills and tools and fatigues them to the core.
Pakistani army's defeats and retreats in Bangladesh, Balochistan, Khairpur Nathanshah and Karachi manifest the notion that a civilian unrest could only be quelled through civilian means and discourse.
Like PPP, Nawaz Sharif is opposed to the military take over of Karachi showing he has learnt a lesson as well, with his misadventure in the country's largest city and economic engine. But, interestingly, on one side Chaudhry Nisar, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, is equally opposed to the military campaign, the PML-N leaders like Khawaja Asif and Mehtab Abbasi -- both are committed televengalists -- have ensured Kamran Khan, a civilian representing GHQ on Geo News, that they would convince Nawaz to support military in Sindh capital.
Who wants the army to make a second stunt in Karachi? The MQM, the ANP, a section of business community, particularly the ones who rhyme with dominant political party in the city, and a band of anchorpersons of filthy private TV channels who are influencing their agenda on people, whose majority is apolitical, just desiring peace to make a safe living.
As Imran Khan still swings in between, the Jamaat-e-Islami finds a shift in its earlier stance and now endorses the stance of Nawaz Sharif and JUI's Fazlur Rehman - not to send the army.
The question arises whom the anchorpersons represent who are dying to see the thunder of boots on Karachi streets. The loyalties of the TV anchors - popularly known as members of the Taliban Union of Journalists - is unquestionably clear. Their mindset is clearly in marked contrast to the secular MQM and ANP.
So, a common demand from the Taliban anchors and liberal political parties to invite armed forces in Karachi has done wonders to shrug off many ambiguities inside many. The riddle is solved and anyone can see who controls the puppet show.
The corps commanders' 'concern' over the events in Karachi is not a distant past. So is the statemnt of the army chief showing his will to step in if the civilian government asked for it. The hue and cry spewing from TV screens is visibly something to rake the government over the coals and force it request the GHQ to enter the scene.
Saner voices like that of Asma Jehangir were in a minority when she had opposed to bring peace through the long boots, but interestingly, her supporters are on the rise now after PML-N openly opposed an army operation.
Let's see whether the Supreme Court brings peace in Karachi. Surely, taking cognizance of the killings by the Chief Justice has already booked his place on the front pages of newspapers.
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