PAKISTAN: A FAILING STATE?

PAKISTAN: A FAILING STATE?

Executive Summary

The advent of twenty-first century is not good for humanity. War is the major characteristic of the modern age. Today, few words are as politically or emotionally charged as “terrorism” but it is still not clear what exactly “terrorism” is. Generally speaking, “terrorism” is the use of politically-motivated violence or terror by state or non-state actors and groups. It is a derisive and subjective term with negative connotations applied to one's enemies and opponents

Confronting these menacing assassins of the Pakistanis regardless of their faith, color, ethnicity and political affiliation is no small feat. In the world of increasing insecurity and confusion, there are but only a few ways to overpower such wicked beasts. The best and most preferable way is, of course, National Unity. It's no more the task of security forces and the intelligence agencies. The morale of paramilitary forces and the police has plummeted to a new low and they are intrinsically incapable of combating the terrorists, whether they are wearing suicide jackets or they are hurling grendaes in the forests during guerilla wars. Snap and sharp shooters are needed for the suicide bombers with proper planning to secure the camps, messes and stations of the security forces across the country. The main problem with the Pakistani counter terror activities that many of the own countrymen believe that this is not our war. Pakistan needs to change that mindset and she needs to condemn and abhor and fight the terrorism in its every form.

Pakistan: A Failing State?

Brief overview of Pakistan

Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It has a 1,046 kilometre (650 mile) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south, and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and the People's Republic of China in the far northeast. Tajikistan also lies very close to Pakistan but is separated by the narrow Wakhan Corridor. Thus, it occupies a crossroads between South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East.

The region forming modern Pakistan was at the heart of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation and then later was the recipient of Vedic, Persian, Indo-Greek, Turco-Mongol and Islamic cultures. The area has witnessed invasions and/or settlements by the Indo-Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Arabs, Turks, Afghans, Mongols, Sikhs and the British.

In addition to the Indian independence movement which demanded an independent India, the Pakistan Movement (led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League), which also sought an independent India, sought an independent state for the majority Muslim populations of the eastern and western regions of British India. The British granted independence and also the creation of the Muslim majority state of Pakistan that comprised the provinces of Sindh, North-West Frontier Province, West Punjab, Balochistan and East Bengal. With the adoption of its constitution in 1956, Pakistan became an Islamic republic. In 1971, a civil war in East Pakistan resulted in the creation of ...