A narrow majority of Pakistanis support the army’s offensive in South Waziristan, but many still believe Pakistan is fighting “America’s war”, according to a Gilani Research Foundation poll conducted by Gallup Pakistan.
In the poll, conducted in the last week of October, 51 percent supported the offensive, 13 percent opposed it and 36 percent were unsure. A majority held the United States and Pakistan’s own government –rather than the Taliban – responsible for the situation which required the offensive in the first place.
And in a country where many believe the government and army are being pushed to follow America’s bidding, in part to bolster the U.S. position in Afghanistan, 39 percent of respondents said the military was fighting ”America’s war”, while 37 percent said it was fighting Pakistan’s own war.
The researchers said 36 percent of respondents were hopeful the operation would bring peace, 37 percent believed it would worsen the situation and 27 percent were unsure.
Pakistani ambivalence about tackling Islamist militants has undermined efforts to rally the country against them, despite a spate of gun and bomb attacks in the country’s cities, though political analysts say the urban violence has now convinced many that action is necessary.
Many blame that ambivalence on what they see as a Pakistani military strategy of attacking only those militants who threaten Pakistan itself, while leaving alone other groups like the Afghan Taliban and Kashmir-oriented groups which can be used as “strategic assets” against Indian influence in the region.
But even in terms of Pakistan’s approach to the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban (TTP) - a major target of the South Waziristan operation - some question whether the army is doing the right thing in launching military offensives in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.
For an alternative view to the prevailing support for the South Waziristan offensive, Muhammad Idrees Ahmad argues in Le Monde diplomatique that Pakistan is creating its own enemy through ill-considered operations that alienate local people and drive more into the arms of the Taliban.
In a country where conspiracy theories abound, many are also quick to blame India or the United States for the violence rather than the Taliban.
Do read this exchange recounted by Londonstani, a blogger at Abu Muqawama, about last week’s attack on a market in Peshawar which killed more than 100 people, many of them women and children.
“Person 1: ‘The Taliban couldn’t have blown up the market in Peshawar because a Muslim wouldn’t do that.’
“Person 2: ‘No, the Americans did it. But you know, the market that got blown up catered for women. And you know it’s haram for women to go out of the house.’
”Person 1: ‘Oh…..yeah’”.
And if the bomb and gun attacks are turning people against the Pakistani Taliban, that does not mean they are likely to rally behind their government. According to this poll, 73 percent of respondents believe that the terrorism has worsened dramatically in Pakistan. But commenting on the government’s response, 44 percent said they believe they had completely failed while 44 percent said they had been successful to some extent.
(Photos: soldiers in Lahore; refugees from earlier Swat offensive)
Trackback
46 comments so far
Previous | 3 | 2 | 1 | Next
Mohammad,
Keep posting. I won’t respond here on in. I don’t do crazy. I’ll leave you to stew in your tin-foil conspiracy theories about the CIA, RAW and Mossad.
At least Umair is sensible and spirited in his discussion. You’re in a different league altogether. Just try not to embarrass the one half-decent Pakistani that regularly contributes to this forum, okay?
- Posted by KeithMr. Keith:
“I think the Americans are trying to do that with the Kerry Luggar Bill. What do you think of that effort?
Would you mind then, if they decided not to sell you F-16s or multiple rocket launch systems or Harpoon missiles?”
Kerry Lugar bill is the clear sign that the Indians have cornered the Americans with their lies. Pakistan shouldered a major responsibility for the Americans through very difficult times during the cold war era. Now we are not needed, so they are shaking hands with India. Tomorrow that can change and America will start courting Pakistan or some other country. We have learnt from our experience not to trust Western powers too much. We have Chinese to look up to for help. Americans will fail in Afghanistan and will get carried out in their stretchers. The money they are giving is really not an aid. It is the payment Pakistan deserves for letting them use our land to fight their arch enemies. We have been betrayed. That’s all. What one sees inside Pakistan today, all the terrorist attacks definitely bear the signatures of CIA, RAW and Mossad. I have no problem with that. Our military did that. I do not deny that. So your guys have learnt that art too. We are already a poor nation. We can take these hits and still survive. We will tough it out. But when we come out of this mess that others have created around us, some countries should watch out. We will settle the scores. No Pakistani will forget these things. You can keep the F16s. We have our missiles and the nukes to defend ourselves. One thing the world has to realize is that we cannot be pushed too far.
- Posted by Mohammed Anjumwe have been pushed to the edge so that your people can live a comfortable life.
- Posted by Mohammed Anjum
==
Mr.Anjum:
Your criticism of West is all fine and dandy. Are you seriously expecting any one here to believe either YOU been pushed to the edge …… or Mohamad Anjum speaks on behalf of those who have been pushed to the edge?
Get Real, Sir.
Mohamed Anjum is more likely to be a well fed, well endowed Punjabi army or ISI individual liviving in a cushy cantonment…who is well paid, and is living at the expense of poor people in pakistan…
Mohamed Anjum is an individual who pretends to be an intellectual but sustains a war machinery, supports and sponsors terroism on unarmed civilians on his “enemies” in the hopes of achieving delusional megalomaniacal, imperialistic territorial dreams.
Finally, why so much anti-West outburst when you have produced a country where youngsters are desperate to migrate the “evil” West but get visas rejected because of their national identity tarnished by the policies promoted by people like you who imgaine to be enlightened.
- Posted by RajStop making weapons that your countries sell to both warring sides and stop making those profits.
- Posted by Mohammed Anjum
I think the Americans are trying to do that with the Kerry Luggar Bill. What do you think of that effort?
Would you mind then, if they decided not to sell you F-16s or multiple rocket launch systems or Harpoon missiles?
- Posted by KeithMr. Anjum,
You really want to compare ancestors? You obviously don’t know the history of North America. Our aboriginal people may have suffered. But Canada never wiped out its aboriginal population like the US. In fact that was one of the causes of the American revolution (and a key cultural difference between Canada and the US). King George would not allow expansion into aboriginal lands, a tradition that has been maintained since. So I don’t see what my country has to apologize for. Even your generic anti-western claptrap about oil is off-base. Canada has its own.
Now let’s compare to your ancestors and what they did in South Asia. Perhaps I should list the various esteemed Muslim conquerors and what they did to the original inhabitants of South Asia?
And let’s compare what’s been the aftermath. We felt so guilty about our mistreatment of the aboriginal peoples, that today we give them extra social services, support payments, free education (right up to and including attendance at any university in Canada), no taxes and unlimited hunting and fishing rights (which other hunters, farmers or forest workers don’t get). They can also lay claim to any land if they can prove their ancestors live there. Shall we compare that to what Pakistan does for its minorities?
And now we can move on to your true emotions. You are justifying the actions of Bin Laden. Lovely.
Like I’ve said before, you can’t bring yourself to condemn terrorism. You are just unhappy that the victims are Pakistani. You’d probably be pretty pleased if the victims were American or British or Indian or Israeli, right?
You still don’t understand that if you want to defeat these thugs you can’t pick and choose which lot you fight. That affords them a convenience which costs you lives. While the Pak Army is around they will be Afghan insurgents. But when the PA leaves, they become anti-Pakistani. That’s how it works. That’s why the US has been helping you. Yet, here you are criticizing the help the west gives.
- Posted by KeithMr. Keith: ” Well for one, we generally value human life more and do actually care to see Pakistanis suffer and get killed on a regular basis. ”
I am sorry, but I will have to disagree with your statement Mr. Keith. May be as an individual with a good heart, you may be valuing human life more. But do not extrapolate it to the whole “civilized” Western society.
Your ancestors took over pristine lands with abundant resources in many part of the world by force, decimated local populations, destroyed civilizations, indiscriminately moved populations from one place to another and have been ruling the world indirectly ever since. So long as the rest of the world plays a second fiddle to your countries, the world is considered peaceful and civilized. Most of the toil of the hard working people in the rest of the world helps fill your capitalistic markets where companies make voluptuous profits. The world is manipulated by the power of your countries. Even if you as an individual feels differently, you still bear the stain of the old culture that has brought this world to the brink in terms of environmental damage, pollution, global warming, extinction of species and so on. Your small populations consume most of the world’s resources, leaving the rest of the world in dire penury. If you are aware of that, then you will realize that all this feelings for other humans is only a lip service. Ask the cozy and comfortable Australians about what they have done to their land and its original inhabitants.
Your countries have had the chance to dominate others and evolve to this comfort level where you act like kings and we are expected act like your servants, taking orders from you. Osama Bin Laden is an out come of the deep seated feelings of those billions who are suffering silently at the hands of the Western powers. I am not supporter of violent people, but they are the symptom of what your dear countrymen have done to the rest of the world. You are not in Afghanistan to bring peace to the world. You are here because the poor and backward people could creep in and fight you in your own homes. Your countries have denied justice to many civilizations around the world by turning brother against brother. And the chaos you see is the result of that. So learn to share the world with others. Stop making weapons that your countries sell to both warring sides and stop making those profits.
Before you preach to others about human rights, please look at what your civilization has done to the rest of the world. By realizing that damage, a solution can be found. We are not evil people. We appear evil because we have been pushed to the edge so that your people can live a comfortable life. Oil greed has messed up the Middle East. So let us be fair to each other. If you point a finger at us, we can point many at you. Your damage was slow and imperceptable over centuries. So it appears as though nothing has happened. But it was the worst damage the world has seen.
- Posted by Mohammed Anjum