The Canvas

The aftermath of the Lal Masjid episode has not taken much time to surface. Yesterday, 23 Soldiers were martyred by a courageous (sarcastic) suicide attack on a military convoy. And today, in the same Swat valley, another attack took place that killed soldiers and civilian alike.

17 killed in suicide attacks and landmine blast in Swat

SWAT: Two Suicide bomb attacks and a landmine blast killed at least 17 persons including 12 security men and wounded 39 others on Sunday in Matta area near Swat.

Director General ISPR has said 11 security men and three civilians were killed in the incident.

In the attack, a landmine exploded and two cars packed with explosives ploughed into a troop convoy, said Director General ISPR Major General Waheed Arshad. Blue colour Suzuki vans were used in the attack that martyred 12 security men and three civilians. [link]

Read about yesterday’s attack, here.

BBC News Online covers in a small article a brief history of Islamic Militant groups in Pakistan. I for one believed that Islam is a religion of peace… But here these people are trying to prove otherwise. I am saddened. Forgive us God, forgive us Quaid, we have failed you, for we are human-beings, albeit with lesser power for reasoning.

Saim posted on his blog, a revealing article about the Tehrik -e- Nifaz -e- Shariat -i- Mohammadi (TNSM: Movement to Establish the Sharia Law of Hazrat Mohammad ‘SAAW’) a few days back that had an interview with the 28 year leader of the movement based in Miranshah, Swat and it’s tussles with the government.

“As far as the Lal Masjid is concerned, we are with it, and if we had the resources we would have gone there to fight with them. Lal Masjid was fighting for a just cause.”

Fazalullah was dismissive of the official charge that he is a member of the Taliban movement. “It is not a charge, it is an honor. I say that I am with the Taliban and I consider [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar as my amir [head].”

The TNSM was founded by Fazalullah’s father-in-law, Sufi Mohammed, in the early 1990s. He gathered more than 10,000 youths to fight in Afghanistan when the US-led invasion began in 2001. With the Taliban withdrawing so fast, these youths took the brunt of the casualties. [Link]

This article was done originally by Syed Saleem Shahzad, the Asia Times Online’s Pakistan Bureau Chief.

This thing might spiral out of control if the neighboring tribes join in the fray. There will be countless deaths on either end, and the already terrorist infested FATA region that is on the fringe of government control might fall prey to hosting more parasites in the near future. The lack of communication will also lead to frustration from either sides as they would not be able to communicate their point of views clearly as they were able to do in the Lal Masjid’s episode.

The government is about to change in like 6 months, and hopefully a new leader might emerge, one who will be left to deal with this mess all on their own. What remains to see is how this plays out, and I do not wish this to become any bigger a problem that it is at the moment. Nobody likes shedding blood especially when both ends are trying to achieve the same goal; a ‘prosperous and happier Pakistan.’

We are 30 days from going 60… yet we have done nothing but failed in the eyes of the world.

The Great Leader
Originally uploaded by toufeeque

About 30 days from now, we remain to be in the same shallows we were 60 years back. Heart wrenching and depressing, the way a debauchery of a nation, a country, a home has taken place over the years. Not just by a single entity, but by anyone who found it their pleasure. Something that was achieved by 50 years of constant struggle and toil, only to be given into the hands of their incompetent followers, like me and you! We have betrayed them!

May Allah elevate Pakistan so it may become the greatest nation on the face of this planet before in the next 60. Ameen.