A view of Namaz-e-Jinaza of Captain Umar Zaib Afzal who embraced Shahadat during the operation Rah-e-Rast at Tamergara held at Rawalpindi Race Course Ground on Friday. (22-5-2009)-Photo ISPR
Operation Rah-e-Rast launched in Malakand Division and Rah-e-Nijat in South Waziristan have full backing of the whole nation including political and religious parties, religious groups, ulemas and Mashaikhs. Complete harmony exist between the power troika of President, PM and GHQ and between service chiefs. Jamat-e-Islami (JI), Tehrik-e-Insaf and Jamiatul-Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) are opposing military operation in their own ways. Latter led by Fazlur Rahman wants to have the pudding and eat it too. He is playing his usual double game by neither quitting the government nor ending his opposition to military option.
Well meaning Imran Khan is not in favor of violence and has also disagreed with radical views of Maulana Sufi. In his view, barring a small segment who have gone astray, by and large Taliban from tribal areas are good and reliable people and should be won over through dialogue and pacification measures. JI chief Munawar Hasan sticks to his uncompromising stance and his denunciations revolve around Anti-Americanism, it is US war imposed on Pakistan, Islam in danger, and leadership sold to Americans. His ideas are fixed and unidirectional with no room for conciliation. Such people are causing more confusion than helping in tiding over the dangerous situation. It is disservice to the nation to sympathise with so-called Taliban going about slaughtering people like goats and having no concept of essence of Islam. Ironically, none of the Taliban apologists have any influence over Baitullah or Fazlullah or have an alternative solution. Process of dialogue and peace deals is in vogue since July 2005. Each deal led to temporary halt in infighting, but at the cost of losing more space and letting militants regain balance.
