Nation Needs Patriots, Not Opportunists

Political opportunists of every stripe are coming out of the woodwork to take advantage of the nation’s confusion over the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad last week. Meanwhile, the nation’s image is at a low point as the world asks how Osama bin Laden could be living comfortably outside PMA Kakul and how the US could carry out a cross border raid without raising the detection of the Army. What we need are patriots – the real kind, not the pseudo-patriot hyper-nationalists who are content to make excuses – real patriots who are willing to ask the hard questions and make real changes to put the nation back on path.

On Day 1 after the raid, the typical establishment media sources were reporting that this was a joint operation carried out with the full involvement of Pak Army. The Nation reported that 200 Pak Army men were involved. It has become clear that this was not the case, and the military appears to have be caught unaware. In the aftermath of this debacle, civilian and military leaders have called for a full investigation into two questions: 1. How was it possible for Osama bin Laden to be living undetected in Abbottabad and 2. How was it possible for a team of American commandos to get in and out of Abbottabad without military and intelligence noticing anything?

These are important questions to be investigated and answered. As citizens of a sovereign nation we must be looking at how our borders have become so weak that international terrorists and American commandos can cross without detection. We must ask what has happened in our country that international terrorists would choose to come here to hide from the rest of the world. It is a time for national introspection.

Unfortunately, while many are looking at these questions honestly, others are jumping on the opportunity to score cheap political points at the expense of the nation’s future.

Unsurprisingly, Jang/Geo continues it’s boring fight with the government by accusing the civilians of failing on the job, as if the president and PM were sleeping at the radar stations when the cross border raid took place. A recent article even lashes out at the civilians for the laughable claim that “the present government had not discussed the war on terror with the army even once during last three years”. Are we to believe that the government was conducting this war while the Army was waiting for instructions? Actually it was the generals having private talks with their American counterparts for the last years. If the government didn’t talk to the army about the war on terror, it wouldn’t matter since it was the army keeping the civilians out of the loop anyway.

Whatever is being said in the media, it’s nothing compared to the silliness coming out of the mouths of some politicians. One might expect such attacks from Ch. Nisar, but the actions of SMQ are an embarrassing display of political opportunism. Qureshi is a smart guy. It’s too bad he got overly ambitious and gambled on being the next ZAB only to find out he’s not quite cut from the same cloth. But continuing this act is only making him look ridiculous.

Thankfully, civilian and military leadership appear to be on the same page with regards to the importance of defending the country.

Sources say the civilian and military leadership were on the same page in expressing reservations about the Abbottabad operation, and decided to formulate a national security policy after taking all political leaders into confidence. Sources say the government’s reservations over the propaganda being hatched against Pakistan by US intelligence agencies and officials from the Obama administration was also discussed.

The prime minister was asked to take the political leadership into confidence so that a joint stance could be taken on Pakistan’s national security and foreign policy with regards its future relations with the US.

Sources claim there was an understanding among the troika that the country’s sovereignty and geographical boundaries would be defended. The prime minister emphasised that “the sole criteria for formulating a national stance was safeguarding Pakistan’s supreme national interest, by all means, with the help of all state institutions, in accordance with the aspirations of the people of Pakistan who above all value their dignity and honour.”

If we’re going to get through this debacle with our heads held high, we’re going to have to answer some difficult and possibly embarrassing questions. We won’t be the first nation in this position. Germany was responsible for Nazis killing 6 million Jews, the US had hundreds of years of slavery, South Africa had Apartheid. Every nation has embarrassing periods in their histories. But those that progressed to become modern, prosperous democratic nations are those that honestly and humbly engaged in self-examination and positive change.