As my beloved country jumps and hops from one political crisis to another, I ask myself whats coming next. Whether it is a clash with tribal warlords supporting the Taliban in the north, dethroning of the chief justice leading to a full political campaign and consequently serious bloodshed in the south or the matter of a religious school imposing their own 'laws' in the capital city itself; the challenges continue to mount and its not simply a problem just for the government. Its a dilemma for everyone and despite the opposition's vehement claims, I seriously doubt if they can do things any differently if given the chance.
Enough has been said about the Chief Justice issue already and since its a matter ongoing in the Supreme Court, its best not to comment. This should be the course of action for both sides and I don't believe the lawyers and their 'political allies' contribute positively by portraying the CJ as a national savior. He may be at best a political victim and that is simply for the court to decide. Even if re-instated, I don't see how that helps solve any of our current serious problems.
The situation in the capital is, according to the opposition, a ploy to distract people's attention from the ongoing 'movement' in support of the chief justice. That doesn't dilute the seriousness of a potential scenario in which our government is forced into taking action again poorly armed but highly motivated and cruelly misguided youth. Its just a recipe for creating another disaster. Look what happened when they tried to take action against the chief justice, he became the center of massive protests and rallies leading to more violence. Its a very distinct possibility that the same may happen with the Jamia Hafsa issue and we seriously don't need any fundamentalist martyrs serving as role models for recruitment of more youth who will be administered a dose of adrenaline and handed a one way ticket to heaven.
Moral issues in our society should have a high priority but the society has to survive in the first place. Our immediate need is a consensus on a strong foreign policy and then have a back-to-back agreement with all political parties for unconditional support. It does not necessarily mean having American troops in Pakistan or bulldozing mosques and schools. It simply means we follow reason and logic to act in the best interest of Pakistan.
Iraq and Afghanistan are very clear examples of how military ego and strict religious doctrine with intolerance can lead to infighting and destruction. We need allies (whether internal or external) and we need common sense to prevail. As long as there are those amongst us willing to kill our own people in the name of religion and politics; we are simply not ready to unite on a platform against the current global trends and policies to create our own destiny.