My heart sank when I read “ISLAMABAD: A wave of suicide bombings, coordinated grenade, bomb and gun assaults, and drive-by shootings  blamed  on militants has left more than 190 people dead in Pakistan so far this month.“ on Dawn. Is this the same Pakistan that some Western countries accuse of ‘not doing enough’ in the fight against terror? Yes, it is nauseating, but Pakistan has been accused of ’secretly’ working with the Taliban for reasons still unknown.

Unfortunately, so far, no one has come forward to accept his/her mistake about being wrong about Pakistan’s sincerity in the fight against the Taliban. Worse, the support that is being offered is still measured and cautious with room for later criticism, if necessary.

This is not right and this is not fair.

It is worth repeating, yet again, that Pakistan has paid the ultimate price for a war that Pakistanis neither wanted, nor was it started by Pakistan. Therefore, decency dictates that every nation and every country that is a target for  the Taliban come forward to support Pakistan without ifs and but instead of repeating the same old tired line that ‘we are with Pakistan in this fight. In the words of an ordinary Pakistan’ “no, no,  we don’t want you with us if you don’t give us the equipment and provide Islamabad with all the resources that are needed in this fight.” Rhetoric , not backed by concrete support is, well, useless to put it mildly.

Given the mood on the street in Pakistan, it is not difficult to understand that this might be the last time that Pakistan’s public would allow the country to become a battlefield for global conflicts. Also, this is pretty much the last chance for not only for Pakistan to survive as a country, but also for the Western democracies to respond properly to a situation that has the potential to get out of hand.

No question this fight in Pakistan is Pakistan’s fight, but it was not always like this. Pakistan sided with Western countries and in the process, it became Pakistan’s war. Now, Pakistan can’t go forward alone and it can’t go back to the time when Moscow decided to invade Afghanistan. Just like Pakistan took a stand at the time of Afghan invasion by the Russians, it is time for the West to take a stand, united stand against the Taliban and in support of Pakistan instead of critiquing Pakistan from the safety and comfort of their distant countries. Everyone has to participate and only than Pakistan will defeat the thugs, once and for all.

But, Pakistan can’t do it alone, and this crucial, but simple factor must not be forgotten.

Equally important is the need to not get dragged in Pakistan’s domestic politics, especially for Washington. For example, Richard Hoolbrooke regularly meets with Nawaz Sharif and after every meeting, Nawaz Sharif and his team claim that Richard Hoolbrooke was reminded that Pakistan is not ready to give up its independence and Washington must respect Islamabad. Similarly, couple of days after Kerry met Nawaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif declared that Kerry was unable to satisfy him. What? If you were not satisfied by Kerry’s explaining of Kerry Lugar or any other matters, why didn’t you tell us this at the time instead of hugs and kisses? Americans have to understand this difficult component of Pakistan’s impossible domestic politics when it comes to fighting the Taliban.

The current government has gambled everything by taking on the Taliban and now, there is no turning back. If Pakistan did not fully succeed in decisively crushing the Taliban, the threat to Pakistan would continue to resurface and it is not easy to launch massive operations like Wazirstan and Swat. World leaders should come forward to do their part in this fight against the Taliban. Remember, God forbid if Pakistan failed to defeat the Taliban, Washington, London, Paris, Tokyo and countless other countries would become the next target for the Taliban. Therefore, it is important to strengthen Pakistan, assist the current government, and not encourage pro Taliban leaders like Nawaz Sharif and Imran Khan type characters by meeting with them.

Like everyone else, I too was taken aback by the fierce opposition to the Kerry Lugar bill. Not sure what the fuss is about, I decided to read about it. So, I read everything that was available on-line about the bill. During my research, I realized that the government of Pakistan has nothing wrong. It is an aid bill, conceived and finalized by a foreign government to help Pakistan. And, there is nothing new in this bill that Pakistan has not seen or dealt with before.

In my quest to educate myself about Kerry Lugar, I decided to talk to couple of people in Washington and they all agreed that Pakistan has to be realistic about ground realities. For example, if foreign countries stopped giving aid and money to Pakistan, it would be impossible for Pakistan to survive couple of weeks. But, if you read or listen to folks in Pakistan, especially on TV, you’d think that the sky is falling, and it is partly because Zardari is the president and partly because of Kerry Lugar.

Funny, right? Of course not, it is a very serious matter and it could hurt the country badly.

But, let me help you understand two simple facts. One, Pakistan is a poor country that almost entirely relies on aid to survive. Let’s not pretend that Pakistan is somehow independent or economically self sufficient. Two, it is up to the donors to decide what conditions or strings to attach to their aid.

But, people in Pakistan have gone nuts in their attempts to demonize Kerry Lugar and by extension Zardari, plain and simple. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find anything in Kerry Lugar that suggests or recommends that Pakistan stop being an independent country. If looked objectively, this aid bill actually helps Pakistan become a stable and self sufficient country, provided everyone in the country commits to helping and saving Pakistan.

I am not sure if the recent wave of horrific attacks on Pakistan’s civilian and military establishment is enough to unite the country, but, Pakistanis must realize the actual threat is not Kerry Lugar aid bill. It is the danger of being destroyed by the nut jobs carrying out attacks inside Pakistan. Instead of focusing on Kerry Lugar, the country has to come up with strategies to beat back the hate mongers targeting Pakistan and Pakistan’s infrastructure.

In an ideal world, Mian Nawaz Sharif and other so called political leaders would back the government and the military to root out the terrorists, but Pakistan’s political leaders, especially those who are not in power are scoring political points. Yet, I know it is pathetic, but it is also true. (By the way, one day, Nawaz Sharif would suffer because of Ch. Nisar and other thugs in his party one day.)

The attacks in Lahore are another opportunity for every Pakistani to drop everything and get ready for the fight that is being forced on the country. Pakistan has to understand that unless Pakistan fights and defeats the Taliban and their wretched supporters inside Pakistan, the country would continue to be under attack, day after day, city after city, building, and bus/train station after train station. It is either let the Taliban destroy Pakistan, or unite to defend and save Pakistan to fight back.

Ac Churchill had said, it is time for Pakistan to declare that “whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender,” and this is the spirit that will not only help Pakistan achieve victory, but also secure Pakistan’s future. It is the responsibility of today’s Pakistan to hand over a secure, prosperous and healthy Pakistan to the next generation and Pakistanis are obligated to do everything to protect Pakistan.

There is no other way, but to fight for a better tomorrow, no other way, except to fight back.

There we go again. Another bomb blast in Peshawar destroyed everything – peace, confidence and hope, yet again.

We all know that the campaign against the Taliban is going to be bloody, and these nihilists are going to do everything in their power to scare, destabilize and intimidate Pakistan, but I am confident that Pakistanis will not, and they cannot be pressured into accepting a barbaric and primitive life style that these thugs are trying to impose on Pakistan.

I just feel extremely sad and depressed about the ordinary citizens being targeted in this battle by the Taliban and the slavish followers of Bin Laden. These civilians have done nothing to deserve to die like this. In fact, the country has done nothing to be bombed by a group convinced to be on God’s mission.

No religion, including Islam preaches hatred, killings and destruction that we have seen in the name of Islam lately. This is exactly the opposite of everything that a Muslim must do, but somehow, a group of thugs have taken up the cause of spreading mayhem and these butchers cite religious reasons for this devastation.

Even more despicable is the support that these people receive in Pakistan and in and around the world. Those who believe that supporting destructive and barbaric Taliban is somehow a fight against the Americans are delusional and bone headed. Americans are not suffering – it is Pakistan and the Pakistanis who are suffering and it has to stop and stop now.

There will be plenty of time to disagree with Washington, but for God’s sake, let’s join hands to root out these hate mongers. These people are a threat to not only to Pakistan, but to the entire world and we have to acknowledge and accept it. These Taliban are killing Muslims and Pakistanis in their quest to harm America. This is wrong, this is awful and this has to come to an end.

Obviously, there is nothing we can do to bring back those who have died tragically, but this is an opportunity, yet again for all of us to protect Pakistan and leave a country that is free of hate, destruction and religious, ethnic or every other type of intimidation for our next generation.

Can we unite to protect our future?

Bilal Qureshi

Washington, DC