THERE has been a growing tendency to term punitive action to punish or hunt down miscreants as military operations, which, as generally perceived, is something unethical, immoral and an act taken in violation of human rights. The recent case in point is the army action to dismantle hide-outs of miscreants who later last week targeted no less a person than the President of Pakistan and the Frontier Constabulary chopper carrying a Major General and a Brigadier. Both these very senior Army officers of Frontier Constabulary were injured in the rocket attacks launched from the ground in Kohlu area. The paramilitary forces are being targeted occasionally by miscreants who do not want the writ of the Government to extend to the areas where few tribal Sardars who call themselves as nationalists in Balochistan want their stranglehold to continue.
Any attempt by the Federal Government to lessen deprivation of the masses in the largest but sparsely populated province of the country is being resisted by the local warlords. They do not want a deep sea port, a network of roads, water reservoirs, expansion of health care and educational facilities, mineral exploration and any other development work to generate employment opportunities and to promote socio-economic progress in these areas. In the name of unspecified rights of the province and the payment of royalty on natural wealth including gas and oil, the so-called nationalists are creating security problems and trying to impede economic development. In the process, they frequently use force. In fact, the nationalists want a state within the state of Pakistan. No Government worth the name can continue to put up with their unlawful activities. Any democratic Government is expected to carry along all segments of the population but that too within the ambit of the law of the land. Those who do not see reason cannot be given a license to kill. They have targeted foreign workers including those involved in the oil exploration activities, OGDC employees and those working to build highways, dams and Gawadar Port. Main gas pipeline is being sabotaged routinely and Government and foreign experts are being kidnapped. Enough is enough.
The authorities must relentlessly pursue these anti-state elements and wipe them out regardless of what a microscopic minority says. The force being used in Kohlu, Marri and adjoining areas against saboteurs and miscreants is justified. No mercy should be shown to those who have been involved in the rocket attacks in the Kohlu and Mari areas recently. Their protectors must also be brought to justice. The continuing military action has been long overdue. The army action to punish the miscreants is absolutely justified no matter how few would like to portray it.

Turkey on trial?

THE argument in western media that the trial of Turkey’s legendary author, Orhan Pamuk, is a test of the country’s credentials as a tolerant and pluralist society is condescending. Nevertheless, Turkey will face this argument, and test, repeatedly on its way to Europe. And it’s quite likely that the Ottoman country will be put on trial even after it becomes a member of the European Union, that is, if all the hurdles in Ankara’s path to Brussels are cleared. This should not distract us from the original debate though. That is, was Orhan Pamuk wrong in imploring his countrymen to confront the realities of the past? In an interview with a Swiss newspaper in February, the celebrated author, who has been a strong contender for the Nobel literature prize, argued that the historical excesses against the Kurds and Armenians should be acknowledged and talked about by the Turks. Which promptly invited the charge of ‘insulting Turkish Republic.’ The case became complicated last week when a judge sent the case back to the Justice Ministry demanding the government first approve it. Which is just as well because there is no case against Pamuk at all.
Thankfully, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan himself has come forward to defend Pamuk’s freedom of expression. Intellectuals, writers and artistes are conscience keepers of a nation. They inspire, guide, and show the way when we are losing our way and hold a mirror when we need to countenance ourselves, warts and all. Pamuk’s contribution to world literature is immense. But he is no self-loathing liberal playing to Western gallery in Salman Rushdie mould. He loves his country, his people and culture and has played a key role in introducing modern Turkey to the rest of the world, especially the West. His works not only celebrate Turkey’s contribution to world civilisation but also pay a rich tribute to Islam’s enduring influences on Turkey and the world at large.
This is why punishing Pamuk for acting as Turkey’s conscience keeper is so wrong. Not only it does no justice to the fearless voice of conscience that Pamuk is but is also unfair to the forward-looking, tolerant, Muslim country that Turkey really is. It has successfully demonstrated that democracy and Islam can co-exist without undermining each other. This case against Pamuk must be dropped immediately — before it is turned into a devastating argument against Turkey’s place in the European Union. Prime Minister Erdogan has made EU membership a cornerstone of his rule and ushered in sweeping reforms in the past few years to pave Turkey’s way to the EU. He cannot allow the Pamuk trial to undo all that hard work sending a wrong message to Europe.

—Khaleej Times