Pakistan should attend its internal threats rather than waging war externally

Islamabad, Dec.14 (ANI): While the Mumbai mayhem has raised millions of questions and speculations about the global war on terror the war mongering between Pakistan and India, an editorial in the Dawn says Pakistan would do well to attend threats rather than focussing on external ones.Pakistan is being referred to as the 'epicenter' of terrorism, the question is why? The answer is that it is facing the brunt of the wounds that it has inflicted in the past.

Now, the editorial says it is the collective responsibility of all Pakistani citizens to look inwards. That burden rests most heavily on the shoulders of elected representatives who should feel duty-bound at this critical stage to put into clear and concise words what precisely ails the country.

The majority of Pakistanis do not support militancy or terrorism, yet a small fanatical fringe has come to dictate national agenda.

The fanatics can cause mayhem whereas the broad-minded can simply talk, or write.

The resentment the powerless feel may be cloaked in anti-Americanism or religiosity, but in actual fact, it boils down to a class conflict.

Becoming a part of a militant or terrorist organisation empowers poor, impressionable young men. And, it's not just the weapons or the monthly stipend that give them comfort,it's the identity . Previously they were faceless. They become part of a community in which they are respected.

The case of Ajmal Amir Kasab of Faridkot, the lone surviving attacker of the Mumbai attack, is a splendid example.

Young unemployed men are brainwashed in the name of God and holy war and are mislead,says the Dawn.

As long as nothing is done to address the growing underemployment in this country, the militants will always find a way to reach out to fresh recruits.

The editorial from then goes on to say that American foreign policies and double standards don't offer any help.

"What the Mumbai assault has done in Pakistan, is that it has diverted attention from the internal threat to an external 'enemy'. This must not be allowed to happen. Soul-searching is the need of the hour, and an acceptance of the fact that Pakistan is indeed a hub of militancy and terrorism," says the editorial.

"Zero tolerance for terrorism and militancy should be the mantra and the Prime Minister and the President must inform the nation in unequivocal terms that what is past is past and that extremism, which has taken root in this country, will enjoy no sanction," it concludes. (ANI)