Pakistan: More peace talks? Anyone?

Shyema Sajjad

The attacks are no longer confined to military and police bases. They are no longer targeting the poor common man in vegetable markets and mosques.

They have smoothly arrived where their penetration should have been hardest.

They have left their mark at a place where even the high and mighty of the country must frequent every now and then.

Is it time to get serious yet? Last night’s tragic and terrifying attack on the Karachi airport has left the country stunned. The international community is no less surprised, but let’s deal with reactions at home first. How? Well it’s all there. The disguises, the heavy weaponry and the intricate planning that apparently had been taking place since long before the peace talks were initiated.

The Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan did not wait too long to claim responsibility for the attack that left at least 18 people dead. According to them, this attack was carried out to avenge the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud in a US drone strike. They also claim that this is just the beginning… so where does that leave us now?

Hopefully united and on the same page? Or perhaps that’s still too much to ask of ourselves.

Our politicians started issuing their condemnations as soon as the news of the first victim’s death started flashing on our television screens. Some good those will do.

Then came our social media pundits.

Amongst the prayers for peace and harmony were sharp sarcastic comments against the PML-N government, as well as the PTI – PPP seems to be way down on the popularity list this year and was spared a mention. Why let such a good opportunity go – let’s point fingers at anyone we can think of and add them to the blame list. Yeah, that’s not going to yield any results other than some likes on your post perhaps.

This is the time to firmly and clearly denounce peace talks. It is time to demand action against those who have clearly made a mockery out of any peace efforts our government has initiated.

The PTI-appointed member of the government committee to negotiate with the TTP, Rustam Shah Mohmand has said that any talks for cessation of hostilities with the TTP will now be held on the government's conditions. About time. But, how many people will still support talks now, let alone rally for the upper hand on these ‘conditions’?

The government should get rid of any plans they have for talks and take direct action. Today the terrorists got inside the Karachi airport, tomorrow they can get inside a government premises or facility – is that when they’ll draw the line?

A salute to our forces for killing all 10 terrorists and recovering the heavy weapons but this isn’t where the exchange of information should stop. We have been told that the terrorists may have been foreign nationals – we need to be told more. How did they get in the country? Who is funding them? Where are they training and why aren’t we targeting those places yet? Setting aside our preferences for various political parties and our hatred for various foreign elements suspected for such attacks, we need to be united in our demand for action and the cessation of peace efforts. They are a farce and will remain so. Your enemy shot bullets into the few functional aircrafts you have left and had aimed to take out all. Your enemy gave a terrible welcome to the passengers who had just landed at the time and gave a terrible goodbye to those stuck on the tarmac. They took 18 innocent lives and promise to take more. When do you say enough? Blocking and barricading roads around the airport isn’t the answer and neither will that antenna search device help any longer. The president can call the terrorists cowards for as long as he likes but fact remains that these ‘cowards’ are bringing the country to its knees and mere lip service in regards to this will no longer do.

If we are stronger and braver than them, it is about time we prove that.

Calls for military action have been echoing since years but perhaps now our government and military may realise that the time is right and the situation extremely grave.

Ten men had the power to shut down an international airport for several hours, imagine what a thousand more like them would be capable of doing. Talk is cheap.