You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
India-Pakistan
True face of TTP: Spokesman's remarks
2013-10-07
[Dawn] WITH the country's politicianship failing to provide clarity on who the TTP is and what it represents, perhaps it is a good thing that the TTP speaks for itself so frequently. Because each time a TTP leader speaks, he underlines exactly why the state cannot afford to compromise with militancy and terrorism. Shahidullah Shahid -- the latest in a line of TTP spokespersons who seem to have extraordinary freedom to ring up and talk to whoever they want, whenever they want -- has told the BBC that the Beautiful Downtown Peshawar
...capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province), administrative and economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan. Peshawar is situated near the eastern end of the Khyber Pass, convenient to the Pak-Afghan border. Peshawar has evolved into one of Pakistan's most ethnically and linguistically diverse cities, which means lots of gunfire.
 church bombing was in accordance with the Sharia. Quite how this is possible or what is the logic behind this claim remains a mystery, and perhaps mercifully so. Pakistain has had more than enough of demagogues using the media soapbox to spread their twisted, hate-filled ideas.

The TTP believes that violence against ordinary civilians, innocent men, women and kiddies, is not only acceptable, but religiously ordained. Where, exactly, does that leave the possibility of compromise with the TTP?
What Shahidullah Shahid's claim does under-line though is a central fact: the TTP believes that violence against ordinary civilians, innocent men, women and kiddies, is not only acceptable, but religiously ordained. Where, exactly, does that leave the possibility of compromise with the TTP? To the proponents of dialogue, how are so-called misguided souls to be brought back to the path of responsible citizenship if their beliefs are fundamentally rooted in violence and a twisted version of religion? In their desperation to negotiate with myrmidons, the politicianship has ended up obscuring the ugly and unacceptable nature of militancy and terrorism here. Unwise as dialogue may have been as the preferred option at this stage, the politicianship has compoun-ded the error by downplaying before the public the threat that the TTP poses and its true face. If a bombing like the one at the Peshawar church can be justified by a TTP leader, why should the country allow such men to continue to spread their poison under the garb of peace talks and a deal? The politicianship has demonstrated clarity -- on talks -- without any real understanding till now. It's time some understanding of the real facts was shown.
Posted by:Fred

00:00