Remains of the federation
criminals and killers, the Taliban themselves have been rather more sensible – with spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan, readily available to the media but beyond the reach of agencies, emphatically stating they will talk only to the military. From the Taliban perspective, this is logical. The parties have meanwhile been left looking at least a trifle foolish.
But beyond the Taliban, and the confidence with which they are calling the shots, there are other issues that need to be considered. There are varying levels of disgruntlement with the centre in all the three smaller provinces. This is not something that should be ignored. The most serious problem lies in Balochistan where a nationalist insurgency, sometimes waning, sometimes wax- ing, has continued for years.
The situation today in Balochistan, arising from this insurgency, threatens us all. There is no point in blaming ‘foreign hands’; while there may be some outside intervention in Balochistan, it capitalises on the resentments and frustrations that already exist in the province. These feelings are something we need to tackle head-on.
To do so successfully, and to recognise the need that a great deal has to be done, we must learn to look into our history – even its ugliest scenes and most gory moments. It is in many ways extraordinary that the events at Shahbag Square in Dhaka and those stemming from it have not really made waves at home. They should have. The reason why this has not happened dates back to 1971, the horrific civil war that resulted in the breaking away of the eastern wing of the country.
Since then, the details of that war have been only occasionally discussed at home. Pakistan Studies or history textbooks at schools mention the events of 1971 only in passing. Casual surveys suggest that many among the younger generation are completely confused about the chain of events or their consequences. Yes, there have been occasional discussions on Bangladesh, but these have been too limited and too rare.
These factors of course explain why the demand by thousands of young Bangladeshis for the trial of war criminals, and the death sentence awarded to the deputy head of the Jamaat-e-Islami in that country, Delwar Hossain Sayedee, for colluding with the Pakistan Army and committing war crimes in his own land, has not really hit home in our country. It should have.
To safeguard our future, we need to understand our past and work in the present keeping all this in view. Bangladesh, which today proudly flies its own flag, is very much a part of our past. We should not forget this. Nor should we fail to closely watch the events occurring there now.
The screens put up around us need to come down. Discrimination, disparity in development and a failure to hear the voices of people – even when they rose to shrill, anguished cries – were all the factors that occurred in the then East Pakistan. We