Terrorism in Pakistan: The Unconscious Insecurity of A Nation
Pakistan is facing the menace of terrorism for a long time. It has destroyed the peace of the country, with many civilians and the armed forces personnel having lost their lives. There are many reasons behind the spread of terrorism, but it is the result of state’s own insecurity. It dates back to the time when Pakistan came into existence.
Soon after the independence, Pakistan was involved into a war with India for Kashmir. India occupation of Kashmir forced Pakistan to get involved. Tribal people also reached for the help of their brothers and a large part of Kashmir war liberated. However, the war stopped at the behest of UNO. It was a great demonstration of brotherhood and love for the country, but, it was the first time that civilians played such an important role for the protection of the country.
1965 war is remembered as a proud moment for Pakistanis as it made the nation proud of its army. During this war Pakistan army successfully defended Lahore but on some other sectors, it had to face setbacks. In this war, it was largely felt that Pakistan has to increase its arms capability and consider other options to confront a large enemy like India.
16 December 1971 is such a shameful day in the history of Pakistan when it surrendered to India. Eventually, East Pakistan became Bangladesh. By and all, it was a stunning defeat for Pakistan. But, there were some incidents of valor and bravery of Pakistanis that made that nation proud especially the role of A-Badr and Al-Shams. Both of these organizations decided to help Pakistan army against Indian insurgency. The contribution of these two organizations is still appreciated.
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 and made the communist presence felt in the region. The USA decided to wage a war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan. Many groups of Afghanistan were involved in this process. It was a successful campaign that thrashed the Soviet Union and many countries were liberated. But, the aftermath of victory was not good for Afghanistan as winning groups started fighting with each other.
Pakistan found an opportunity in the form of these groups. It began supporting some of them against the others. It was an easy way to get an advantage over the arch-rival India in case of a war. The involvement of militant groups had become a vital part of Pakistan’s defense policy. Their presence was heart-warming for Pakistan.
All was good until 9/11 incident when Pakistan had to make a tough choice. Being an American ally was a coming a great price. Pakistan had to fight against all those groups which were the part of its own defense agenda. It is what Pakistan is doing now and paying a huge price
A lot of things are happening. Pakistan needs to decide what it needs to do in order to be stronger and powerful. Insecurity of the nation can be turned into strength by adopting good policies. However, focus should be on strengthening the state institutions and not the reliance on external factors.
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