Pakistan is at war with itself.  This partial civil war is caused due to misadventures of many internal and external forces.  All of these forces are working on their own agendas without worrying about the future of Pakistani people and implications of breakage of Pakistan on South Asian region and rest of the world. 

Among the internal forces, religious parties are promoting extremism, jihad and intolerance, and are preparing Muslim youth for Ghalba-e-Islam (promulgation of Islam in whole world).  This job is being done in 2.1 million religious seminaries spread all over Pakistan.  Initially the religious parties were providing Jihadi training to youth in collaboration with the Inter Services Intelligence and these Mujahideen were being exported to Afghanistan and Kashmir to fight freedom war.  But, all this was being done with dollars from CIA via ISI.  The net result is that Mujahideen, which were created by CIA and ISI, are now fighting against Americans in Afghanistan, and against Pakistan army in Swat, Waziristan and other tribal areas of Pakistan.  Law of nature is working here: a snake charmer rears a baby-snake; the baby-snake grows up and becomes a serpent and swallows/kills the snake charmer, which had reared the baby-snake.  The CIA and ISI are reaping what they had sown.

It was a serious mistake on the part of Pakistan to allow the growth of extremist groups like Jamat-e-Islami and to rely on Jihadi groups for tackling Afghan and Kashmir issues. These problems should have been solved through diplomatic efforts and not through use of Jihadi groups.  This act of evading diplomatic efforts and reliance on Jihadi groups has weakened Pakistan on the diplomatic front and has brought it a title of a “troubled child”. But, none can deny that America is mainly responsible for turning Pakistan into a “troubled child”, for the USA constantly supported military dictators and helped these dictators to topple extremely weak elected governments.  So a powerful army continues to control the so called democratic governments to date.    

Many analysts believe that America, Israel, India, and Russia are among external forces, which are actively busy to break Pakistan into different parts.  Why are these four countries i.e. America, Israel, India, and Russia working on the agenda of disintegrating Pakistan?  The answer according to many Pakistani analysts is that: USA and Israel are scared of a nuclear Pakistan.  They are afraid that in case some extremist group comes into power in Pakistan, or if a Jihadi group gets hold of nuclear weapons of Pakistan, they will immediately fire them upon USA, its allies, and particularly on Israel and India because all theses countries are seen as anti-Islam, and anti-Pakistan.  Islamist parties and extremist Muslims often express a desire that “Israel is a cancer of the world so it should be eliminated immediately and rest of the world should be conquered and Islam should be promulgated in the whole world”.  An unjust support to Israel and India by the USA and rest of the West, and delay in solving Kashmir and Palestine Issues has strengthened this view in Islamic world.

Pakistani analysts believe that India is supporting Taliban and other anti-Pakistan terrorists and providing money, ammunition and training through its 18 consulates situated on Pak-Afghan border on Afghan territory.  India is also supporting separatist movements of Baluchistan and Sindh.  In Baluchistan, India is supporting groups like Baluch Liberation Army, and in Sindh it is reportedly supporting Jiay Sind Movement of G.M. Syed and Mohajir Qaumi Movement.

Although recently Indian finance minister Mr. Mukhurjee said in the Indian Parliament that Pakistan was created to live forever and India cannot eliminate it.  But, India better prove with its actions that it has sincerely accepted Pakistan as a neighbor with an open and renewed heart.  And the best action to prove its sincerity will be suspending its financial and military support to terrorist groups of Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, Baluchistan, and Sindh.  India also needs to begin a process of evacuating from Kashmir, and solving Kashmir issue according to the wishes of the Kashmiri people.     

Last but not the least Russia is also supporting terrorists groups against Pakistan because Russians are taking a revenge on Pakistan.  The Russians have not forgotten that Pakistan army had fought Afghan Jihad on behalf of Americans and caused Russian defeat.

Whether the grievances of all four states i.e. America, Israel, India and Russia are justified or unjustified.  That is not the point under discussion at this moment.  The point that is intended to be highlighted here is: What will these states and their agents i.e. Taliban, Sufi Mohammad, Maulvi Fazalullah and several religious and ethnic groups, which are involved in terrorist activities, and target killings in many parts of Pakistan, achieve if, God forbid, they are successful in disintegrating Pakistan?  This disintegration will have very serious implications for not only the whole of South Asia, but, for the rest of the world as well, and particularly for USA, Israel, India, and Russia.  They will have more enemies from Pakistan and rest of the Islamic world.  They will have more Taliban and Jihadi groups form Pakistan and rest of the Islamic world and these groups will be supporting the Pan Islamic movement and Al Qaeda, which wants to conquer the whole world and promulgate Islam thereon. The groups like Jamatul Dawa (formerly Lashkar-e-Tayyabah), Al Qaeda, Hammas, Hezbollah, and numerous other Jihadi groups will have much wider constituencies and follower ship among Muslims.  Religious extremism, intolerance, and terrorism will increase in the Islamic world, and in those states, which have Muslim population.  The religious minorities, particularly Christians in Muslim countries and especially in many parts of Pakistan will become more insecure, and will be targeted by extremist parties.  Muslims all over the world will have more anti-US, anti-West, anti-Israel, anti-India, and anti-Russia feelings, and those feelings will be expressed through many more terrorist attacks all over the world, and particularly in the USA, other Western countries, Israel, India, and Russia.  

So, it is in the own interest of these “anti-Pakistan” states to help Pakistan become stable, both economically as well as politically.  A politically, economically, socially, and culturally stable, sound, steady, firm, and secure Pakistan will be beneficial for all those who are trying to disintegrate it.  And a situation otherwise will prove to be extremely dangerous for not only those forces, which are working to destabilize Pakistan, but also for rest of the world.                

Yunis Khushi is a Lahore-based sociologist. For feedback you can contact Yunis Khushi.

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